Beautiful Creature
by vaporix
Summary: After an unfortunate encounter with a teenage wizard, Alec Lightwood finds himself in a rather sticky situation. He becomes a beast, with red eyes, scars, and veins stretching across his ivory skin like spiderwebs. The rose tattoo that stains his wrist has twelve petals, one for each month.
1. Chapter 1

Alec glanced around his school hallway and identified people with imperfections, or uglies, as he called them. None of them dared to look Alec in the eye. They knew better. When Alec walked by, the uglies would put their heads down in shame and shove their hands into their pockets.

He was an obvious beauty. He had chocolate hair that made girls swoon, a perfect body, and those blue eyes that would make everyone melt. All of these features made Alec perfect, but there was more to it. He was raised by the richest family in town and was dating the hottest girl at his school. He was the stereotypical perfect shadow hunter.

He knew he was attractive, and boy did he flaunt it. He relied on his looks for everything. He was raised solely by his mother, who taught him that a person's appearance was more important than what was on the inside.

Alec's mother was a model, a very well known model, at that. She was pretty young, only in her mid-thirties, but appeared to be much younger. It seemed like Maryse could be Alec's sister rather than his mother.

So Alec learned from his mother. He became a copy of her personality. He never met his father- not that he wanted to. His father walked out on them when he realized that Maryse was "a selfish bitch". Alec was only two at the time, and had no memories of his father. He was raised by his mother to believe that being pretty was the only thing that mattered.

He walked into the school cafeteria where he saw his friends, or as he called him, the pretties. They all greeted him, echoing hello's. He looked around the flawless group of people and instantly smiled, showing off his beautiful jawline. Alec was about to sit down when a clumsy blonde boy tripped over his own feet and dumped his lunch tray onto Alec's chest, smearing nachos onto his brand new shirt.

Alec cursed under his breath when he realized what had happened and heard a round of gasps around the lunch room. How dare an ugly dump his lunch on Alec Lightwood? This sort of thing was unheard of. Alec looked at the klutz of a boy that dumped his lunch on him and fumed. The yellow, pasty cheese dripped down Alec's over shirt.

"What the hell is your problem?" Alec shouted, even though he already knew the answer. This boy was an ugly and they weren't good for anything. They were worthless. He noticed the boy's braces and bleached hair. This boy tried to cover it up, but he couldn't.

The boy stuttered. "I'm s-sorry—"

"You're sorry? You're going to pay to have this dry cleaned!" Alec shouted, drawing a scene. Eyes glued to them. "What's your name?" he asked when the blonde boy didn't reply.

"Jace," he said. His cheeks flushed pink; he didn't like attention. He preferred being shy and relished having the role of an outcast. It was better than being the center of attention. Besides, nobody understood him because they could never fathom his unique gift.

"Jace. Do you know who I am?" Alec snapped.

"Yes," Jace muttered. Of course he did.

"You listen to me right now, blondie. I don't know who you think you are. You're just a short, ugly, pig," he said. He paused and swiftly ran his fingers through the boy's hair, grimmacing. "Your hair is bleached . . . you must be pretty insecure about that. I don't blame you for hating yourself," Alec growled. He loved the feeling that he got when teasing uglies. It was a rush, and it made him feel superior and in control.

"Keep going," Jace encouraged, a smirk across his face. He might have been shy, but he wanted to know what this prick had to say about him. He knew how to stand up for himself.

Alec was a bit taken back, but he kept going.

"And your braces. Your teeth are crooked, that's disgusting. Your skin, too. It's pasty. You're just one giant flaw." Alec's words didn't hurt Jace the slightest. He was strong.

"You're ugly, too," he replied.

Everybody gasped and a few people hooted. How dare an unpopular call Alec Lightwood that? It was unheard of.

"Excuse me?" Alec laughed.

"You're ugly, too. On the inside. I can see it, you're hideous on the inside." Jace paused. "No, hideous doesn't even describe it. You're a beast, and soon everyone will know it," he said mysteriously. His bright golden eyes stared into Alec's blue ones.

"I don't know what game you're playing, blondie, but you will pay for this," Simon snarled. He pointed his index finger into Jace's chest, but he showed no fear. He wasn't afraid of Alec. Jace knew he was stronger than him— maybe not physically, but mentally.

Without saying anything else, Alec sat down next to his friends. The staring abruptly stopped, and the kids in the cafeteria started going back to their normal lives. This was a common event for the school. It seemed every day Alec taunted an ugly.

Alec unbuttoned his over shirt, which was covered in nachos, and threw it back at Jace. Underneath Alec's over shirt, he had a plain white t-shirt, which he was thankful for. He ordered Jace to have the over shirt dry cleaned. Jace nodded, saying that he would. Alec turned back to his friends and started talking with them, acting as if nothing had happened.

What Alec didn't know was that Jace wasn't an ordinary student. No, he was much more than that. Jace just stared at the back of Alec's head, knowing that he'd get his revenge.

The next morning, Alec realized that he made a mistake. He woke up and brushed his teeth, going through his normal daily routine, but he didn't recognize the thing that he saw in the mirror, and it disgusted him. When Alec looked into his bathroom mirror, he nearly had a heart attack.

Alec didn't know how or why it happened. It just happened. He stared into the mirror in awe. His face had scars spread along his skin, and a large, black tattoo across his left cheek. His eyes had even changed color from their normal cerulean to bright red. He looked at himself in the mirror, taking in the reality of his own destruction.

Purple veins ran across his body like spiderwebs, connecting at points and twisting across his skin. A black tattoo spread across his left cheek, right below his eye that stretched down to the corner of his lip. Another tattoo lied across his collarbones, another on his right bicep.

He saw a line of bright blue peek out from his shoulder. He proceeded to take off his shirt, then gasped when he saw the blue veins spread across his chest, like lightning bolts. They protruded from his skin and were the brightest shade of blue he had every seen— perhaps even neon. They almost looked like they were glowing.

Burns and gashes spread his chest, back and face. Blemishes and imperfections coated his body. His hands were covered in what seemed to be black lines like branches expanding from his wrist. Alec turned over his palm and grimaced at the sight of the word beast spelled out with bright, blue veins.

A pink burn ran across his neck and he raised his hand to touch it. As he applied pressure, he realized the burn didn't physically hurt, but the very sight of it on his once beautiful body made him frown in disappointment. What happened to his perfect skin?

He then noticed the black tattoos across his arms and chest. They weren't of anything particularly and they just resembled black vines printed across his skin. He hoped they would wash off. One of the markings, however, was identifiable. On his wrist was a small, black rose.

He didn't know how it happened. Who could have caused this?

Alec suddenly noticed the figure of a short, blond boy standing behind him. Alec's eyes widened and he turned around to see Jace standing at the other side of his bedroom, with his arms across his chest and a smirk on his lips.

"What the Hell is going on!?" Alec demanded. He wondered if this was all a dream— a sick twisted dream.

Jace just chuckled. "I tried warning you—"

"Did you do this? How?" Alec cut in, a bit louder. He stepped closer and raised his fist, preparing to punch Jace. Was this some sort of prank?

Jace just stepped back. "Violence won't fix anything, Lightwood. The damage is already done. I can't reverse the curse," he said.

Alec shook his head in utter confusion. "What do you mean?" he asked slowly.

Jace smiled weakly. "You have 365 days to get some one to love you for who you really are inside, not just your appearance, or you'll stay like this forever. When all of the petals fall off of the rose," Jace started. He pointed to the black rose tattoo on Alec's wrist. "The curse will stay permanent."

With that, he quickly headed towards Alec's bedroom window. He jumped out and started descending down the fire escape. With each step, metal clattered under him.

"Wait!" Alec called desperately after him. He poked his head out of the window, but Jace was no where to be found. Only a dark alley way lied beneath his window. Alec just gulped, suddenly feeling uneasy.

What had he become? A beast?


	2. Chapter 2

Alec sunk down his cream coloured bedroom wall until he felt his bum hit the hard, cold floor. He tucked his legs tightly against his chest and buried his head into his knees. He just sat there for a long time, not knowing what to do. Surely he couldn't go to school like that. That wasn't an option.

Perhaps the black markings would wash off? Alec thought it was possible. He stood up and wondered into his bathroom.

His wash room was a bit more extravagant than a normal teen's. There was a chandelier— yes, a chandelier— that lit up the medium sized room. The floors were a beautiful blue tile and his shower had fancy features so the water could flow like natural rain. Alec loved being spoiled by his mother. He absolutely loved it.

He turned on the hot water in the shower and waited for it to warm up. Whilst the water heated up to a desirable temperature, Alec stripped down naked. He sighed as the steam surrounded him in warmth. He then proceeded to step inside of the shower and stood underneath the trickling, hot water.

Alec lathered himself up and scrubbed his arms in an attempt to remove the markings. He washed so hard that the skin was about to break. He could see his arms turning red and the stubborn ink would not leave his skin. Alec was growing tired of it and decided to wash the rose tattoo on his wrist. It was a bit— no, a lot too feminine for him.

He rubbed his wrist with soap and washed it until his skin pruned and puffed up. Nothing was working. Alec just stopped trying and swore under his breath. What was he going to do?

He stepped out of the shower and stepped back into his clothes. He walked over to the mirror and stared at the large, red scar and black tattoo on his face. It disgusted him to see himself like that.

He leaned over the bathroom counter to lessen the splash, and started cupping water into his hands. He spattered the water onto his face and used face wash in an attempt to remove the blemishes and inkings. Once again, nothing worked, and Alec was starting to lose hope.

His eyes were a bright shade of red and he missed his normal blue ones. What was he to do? He couldn't go out in public like that, for certain. He glanced down at his watch and realised that it was almost time to leave for school.

He went back into his cosy bedroom and collapsed on his bed. There was no way he was going to school, not like that, at least. Alec considered using his mum's makeup to cover it up, but it'd probably fade by the end of the day anyway.

A knock interrupted Alec's thoughts. His heart jumped and he pulled up his duvet over his body and face. Whoever was at the door, whether it be a maid, a butler, a cook, or his mother, they could not see him like that.

The person walked inside his room without consultation. The sound of the person's loud, clicking foot steps made Alec realise that it was indeed his mother. Alec groaned and stayed underneath the covers.

He felt his mother sit down in the corner of his bed. She patted his shoulder lightly.

"It's time for school. You ready? Hodge can drive you," Maryse said.

"No, I'm sick," Alec muttered. He coughed on impulse and tried to make his voice sound hoarse.

"I'm not buying it, Alec. Now get out of bed," she ordered.

Alec gulped. "I can't."

"Why not?"

"Because . . . because I just can't," Alec growled.

Maryse rolled her eyes and tugged lightly on Alec's blanket, trying to see what was the matter. Alec just swallowed thickly and rolled onto his stomach as Maryse ripped away the blanket, revealing Alec's back. His shirt thankfully covered the scars and the blemishes.

"Please, just let me stay home from school today. I'm not feeling well," Alec pleaded into his pillow. His words were muffled by the fabric but Maryse still understood her son.

"No way. Now get out of bed, mister," she scowled. She grabbed Alec's shoulder and flipped him over so his stomach was facing up. Maryse gasped and stood up from the bed, stepping back in shock. She lifted her delicate hand over her mouth and stared at her son's back in awe.

"What happened to you!?" she asked. Maryse noticed the various markings, burns, and scars across his arms, face, and legs. She wondered if there was even more blemishes beneath his clothing.

Alec felt tears prick at his eyes. "Mum, please—"

"What in the world happened to you!? Answer me, damn it!" she ordered.

Alec just started crying right then. He stared up at his mother, who was so disgusted with his new appearence, and felt tears drip down his tainted cheeks.

"Answer me, Alec!"

Alec shook his head. "I-I don't know what happened! I woke up like this!" he explained. Maryse paused, eyes darting over her son's body.

"Come with me," she huffed, grabbing his arm.

"Where are we going?"

"Just come with me, Alec," she spat. Alec decided not to ask any more questions and followed his mother through their abnormally large house. She then demanded him to put on a hoodie in hopes that it would slightly shield his face. Alec did as he was told.

He then followed his mother into her car. She stepped on the gas and started heading down town. Alec leaned his head against the window and watched the rain fall down from the heavens, forming puddles in the streets. The grey clouds matched his mood perfectly.

"Where are we going?" Alec suddenly spoke up. Maryse tightened her grip on the steering wheel and avoided eye contact with her horrid looking only child.

"To see a doctor."

* * *

"What do you mean there's nothing we can do?" Maryse asked, demanding answers.

Alec's doctor looked at her son on an examining bed. He focused on the tattoos across his chest and arms and the burns and scars that stretched across his face. He took out a small torch [flashlight] and watched the dilation of each of Alec's ruby red eyes. Dr. Catarina had been a doctor for thirty years and he had never seen anything like it.

"These markings are permanent. Tattoo removal is an option, but it's very painful and there are too many to remove at one time . . . so it'd take months, even years. As for his eye colour, coloured contacts would be the only fix. I'm sorry. There's nothing we can do," he sighed.

Maryse didn't say anything else and she stormed out of the doctor's office. Alec groaned, put back on his shirt, and followed her out. He walked behind her out to the parking lot. Without looking back at her son, she scowled and said, "Get in the car."

Alec did as he was told. Maryse started up the car and quickly drove out of the large parking lot, leaving skid marks behind in the asphalt. As they approached the highway ramp, Alec turned to his mother.

"Where are we going?" he asked delicately. The fierce look on his mother said back-off-I'm-mad and it scared Alec to see her like that.

"I have one last idea," she muttered. Alec decided not to ask any more questions and sunk back into his seat. He fell asleep against the car window and hoped that when he woke up, all of this would just be a dream.

Unfortunately, that didn't happen.

_A/N: CLIFFHANGERS BITCHES_


	3. Chapter 3

Alec looked up at the house, shielding his eyes from bright sunlight with his hand. He squinted his eyes and gasped silently at the sight in front of him. The house was small and a bit run down. The roofing was in bad condition and a few of the windows were shattered. Alec glanced over at his mum in utter confusion.

"Why are we here?" he asked.

Maryse parked the car and at the small building as they pulled into a shady looking driveway. Tall, mysterious oaks sighed in the wind.

"This is my where my physic lives—"

"You have a physic?" Alec asked. Even though his mother was a marvelous model, she was into some pretty weird stuff. Fortune tellers, voodoo, you name it.

"Yes, I do. Her name is Lady Snake and she's also a witch—"

"A witch?"

She looked down at her son. She stared at the red burn across his cheek, and the black marking across the other. The blue veins that ran across his neck and tangled down at his chest. His peircing red eyes and chapped lips.

"She's our only hope," she said quietly.

Alec just nodded slowly.

They got out of the car and walked up to Lady Snake's home. Alec got the chills as his mum knocked lightly on the door, waiting for her to answer.

Suddenly, the door opened, revealing a large woman with long, black hair and skin as pale as the moon. She had black liner drawn under her eyes and ruby red lipstick. Her black and red dress reached down to her ankles where it fell above her bare feet.

"Maryse! What a pleasure, it's so nice to see you," she said. She shook her hand and Maryse beamed. Alec just shifted awkwardly and pulled his hoodie further over his head. She hadn't noticed him yet.

"And this must be your son—" Lady Snake finally said, glancing over at the boy beside her. Lady Snake frowned and looked up and down the blemished boy. Alec looked up to meet her eyes and pursed his lips.

"Oh my . . . come in, please. I don't have any clients right now," Lady Snake generously offered.

She stepped aside, taking one last glance at Alec. She knew what was wrong with him. She knew what had happened. She had only seen it a handful of times in her forty years of living, but she recognized it well enough to tell that Alec had the curse of the beast.

Maryse and Alec sat in the living room on the couches in front of her crackling fire place. The walls were lined with human skulls and creepy ritual items. It gave Alec the creeps.

Alec pulled down his hood and swept his hair to the side. He fiddled with his thumbs when Lady Snake returned from the kitchen with tea. He declined, but Maryse accepted the kind offer.

The witch sat down across from them in an old rocking chair. She sipped her tea, glancing up and down Alec's body. After a few long moments of watching Alec's every move, she turned to Maryse.

"When did this happen?" she asked Maryse.

"This morning," Alec answered for his mother.

Lady Snake nodded. "I see. Now, have you had any weird encounters with anybody in the past couple of days? Did someone in particular act strange or a bit off? Think hard." she wondered.

Alec bit his lip. He thought about Jace and instantly felt angry. This was all his fault and he wanted to beat his stupid head to a pulp.

"Well, yesterday this clumsy kid named Jace Herondale dumped his lunch on me. I yelled at him, but then this morning he showed up in my room and . . . well, you get the idea."

The name Herondale rung in Lady Snake's ears. Yes, the Herondale family was well known to her. They were a blood line family of wizards and witches. Very successful and powerful ones, at that.

"Did Jace say anything to you?"

"Sorta'. He said something about 365 days to find love or something. I wasn't really paying attention. I was in shock," he admitted.

"Enough of this magic stuff, okay? How do we fix Alec? A potion? A reverse spell? Anything, please," Maryse begged. She wanted her beautiful son back, not this beast.

"Unfortunately, Ms. Lightwood, it's not that simple. You see, this curse was done by a blood line wizard— which I am not. I can't reverse the spell, and nobody can, for that matter. A wizard's magic and spells is like a person's DNA, it can't be replicated. Nobody has the same kind. I'm afraid there is nothing I can do,"she said solemnly.

Lady Snake really wanted to help Maryse and her son, she really did, and Ms. Lightwood was one of her most loyal customers. There was nothing she could do to help Alec, though.

"So what do you suggest we do?" Maryse said, raising her voice.

Lady Snake shrugged. "Let him continue his normal life. Allow him to go to school and—"

"Are you kidding me? Listen to yourself! He can't go out in public like this! I'm a model, Lady Snake, and I can't have my son looking like that!" she raged. Alec shifted uncomfortably in his seat, listening to his mum's harsh words.

Lady Snake twirled her spoon around her tea and sighed deeply. She mixed in a sugar cube and watched it dissolve slowly into her cup.

"I have a suggestion," she said cautiously. She didn't know what Ms. Lightwood would think of it, but it was worth a try.

* * *

The next day, Alec had his things packed and was being shipped to live on his own. Lady Snake suggested that Alec should stay isolated for a while until they figured things out.

Maryse, of course, would check in on Alec every day and see how he was doing. In the mean time, Alec would stay by himself in an apartment, secluded from society. Maryse would try to find doctors and she do research until she found one with a solution. Surely somebody in the world's population would be able to fix it, right?

Alec's mum reminded him to pull up his hood as they walked towards Alec's new apartment complex. He groaned but didn't protest. One by one, they unloaded boxes from the van into Alec's new apartment. The Lightwood's house was too public and in the city, and it was far too risky for him to live out there, especially with the paparazzi around watching Ms. Lightwood's every move.

Alec agreed to the idea, too. He wanted to be safe and move away from the city. As Alec unloaded the last box into the empty apartment, a thought occurred to him. He turned to his mum and asked; "What about school?"

Maryse sighed, glancing around the apartment. "You're going to have a teacher for home schooling," she said.

"Oh great, home schooling," he sighed.

"It's alright. Things will lighten up soon, I promise," she said hopefully, combing her fingers through his hair lightly.

Alec nodded and started unpacking a box in the small kitchen. He placed the spoons and forks into a drawer. "What'd you tell my old school?" he wondered.

"I just told them that you were transferring schools. They didn't question it," she said, helping Alec place the silverware in order.

"They probably won't miss me. I bet they're glad that I'm gone," Alec chuckled.

"Mhm," Maryse muttered. She watched Alec has he placed pots and pans under the cabinets. "What about your girlfriend?" she suddenly asked. She remembered him mentioning a girlfriend a few times.

Alec poked his head up. "What? Cara? I'll break up with her. No big deal." He didn't really care about Cara. She was the most popular cheerleader and he sort of had to date her. He didn't find her interesting or important, not at all. In fact, he kind of hated her.

He sent her a quick text, saying only We should break up and that was it. No argument, nothing. She just replied immediately, saying okay. Their relationship was never anything of great significance.

Alec tucked his phone back in his pocket and smiled at his mum. "I can finish unpacking the rest. It's okay," he said.

"You sure?"

"Yeah. It's fine. I'll see you tomorrow, alright?" he said.

"Of course. Bye sweety," she smiled. She pecked her son's scarred cheek carefully. The texture of his cheek was rough and hard, like a burn. She missed Alec's soft, flawless skin. With one last final goodbye, Maryse turned and left her son alone in his new apartment.

This place really was in the middle of nowhere. It was a good thirty minute drive from Alec's old home, but Maryse didn't mind the drive. As long as Alec was away from the public.

Alec's new apartment wasn't anything extravagant. It was pretty small, actually, but Alec didn't mind. Well, he did mind. In fact, he minded a lot. He missed his fancy shower, his vibrating bed, and his maids and butlers . . . but frankly, that wasn't the worst of his troubles at the moment, so those things had to go ignored until further notice.

He walked around, enjoying the silence. The past days consisted of nagging and complaining from his mother and the quiet was quite relieving. The kitchen was not big enough for the amount of cooking that he normally did, so he'd probably have to order take out a lot. Most of the apartment came furnished, but Alec still had to add a few things to make this house a home.

After several hours of unpacking knickknacks and trinkets, Alec went into his small bedroom and fell asleep. It didn't come easy. He was worried about his school, and how he would miss his friends. He was worried about his mother and her emotional state. But most of all, he was worried about himself.

After all, that's all that mattered to him.

* * *

Alec awoke to the sound of a light knocking. He ignored it and flipped over onto his stomach, digging his head into his one thousand dollar pillow. Alec's expensive items from his old home didn't fit in with his new cheap apartment.

The knocking soon became louder and Alec started to get annoyed. He swore under his breath and kicked his covers off of himself. He stood up uneasy and rubbed his tired eyes.

He trudged through the living room and to the front door. He looked through the peek hole. There stood a young man with feathery black hair and light golden eyes. He looked up eagerly and held countless folders and files underneath his arm.

"What do you want?" Alec growled. What did this man possibly need at seven o'clock in the morning?

"Uh, sorry if I woke you but . . . I'm Magnus. Magnus Bane? Er, you can call me Mr. Bane. I'm your teacher," he said.

Alec didn't say anything. He just crossed his arms over his chest.

"Um, you are Alec, aren't you?" the man's voice spoke through the door again.

"Yes, I am," Alec confirmed.

The man paused before speaking. "So why don't you open the door then?"

Alec sighed. "It's Saturday." he stated. He knew it was Monday but he really didn't feel like learning today. He wasn't in the mood.

"No, it's Monday," Magnus retorted.

Alec rolled his eyes. "Okay, fine Just wait a minute," he muttered.

Alec had thought that home schooling would be easy. Y'know, slacking off, sleeping in, watching TV all day, but apparently it was nothing like how he imagined.

He stumbled into his bathroom and washed his face gently. He put the blue coloured contacts over his red ones, turning them temporarily back to their original colour. He then pulled a black ski mask over his head to cover his face.

It wasn't very comfortable. The scratchy wool bothered his skin but he really had no choice. It was the only way to cover up his face. He made sure that his chest and arms were fully covered, as well as his legs. Not a single tattoo, blemish, or burn was revealed. He appeared normal . . . well, not normal per say. After all, he was an eighteen year old boy wearing a ski mask, sweat pants, and long sleeved shirt in the middle of dead summer, but he didn't look like a beast. Just simply a crazy teenager with a mental disorder.

Alec shook his head of messy hair and walked back into the living room. He looked through the peep hole silently again. The man was still there, patiently waiting like a puppy.

He opened up the door slowly. "Er . . . come in," he said. The man—Mr. Bane—paused when the door was opened. He just stared up at Alec. His eyes went blank, like watching an empty canvas. It was odd. Alec wondered what was the matter.

The man's eyes were like a bottomless hole. They held no emotion, and he didn't react to Alec's odd clothing in any way. Alec didn't know what to think of it.

"Are you just going to stand there?" Alec growled.

Magnus nervously shook his head and stepped inside, looking down at the ground. Alec huffed and watched Mr. Bane take a seat in his living room.

He just met Magnus, and Alec already knew that he didn't like him. Not one bit.


	4. Chapter 4

Magnus was a special education teacher, meaning that he usually home-taught students with mental issues that weren't able to attend normal public schools. So when Ms. Lightwood called him, asking for his help, he couldn't refuse the offer. He was told by Alec's mother that Alec had some issues, but wasn't told much more of the situation.

To Magnus, seeing Alec with thick clothes and a ski mask was normal. He was used to these sort of odd things from mentally damaged children. He didn't think much of it.

He walked inside and sat in the living room, stuffing his hands into his pockets. He sat his folder atop of the coffee table, which was stuffed with multiple worksheets and papers.

Alec gritted his teeth and followed behind him, "You don't have to teach me anything if you don't want to," Alec breathed, sitting down across from Mr. Bane in another couch.

Magnus just looked up at his student and smiled warmly. "Of course I want to," he said.

Alec honestly didn't want to learn. He missed his old school, old friends, and old body. Everything was still very new to him and he didn't like it. Alec crossed his arms over his chest and sunk back into his seat. He didn't like his teacher. Something about Magnus bothered him.

"Why don't you tell me a little bit about yourself?" Magnus offered. He wanted to get inside of Alec's head and figure him out.

Alec sighed deeply, "Well . . . I'm seventeen. I was about to finish grade twelve when I switched to home schooling for, um, personal reasons. My name's Alec. That's all you need to know," he said. He wasn't about to tell his life story to a complete stranger.

Magnus smiled at that. "You're a stubborn one," he chuckled deeply. Alec crossed his arms over his chest and hummed in response.

"Now it's your turn," Alec instructed. If Mr. Bane was going to try and get inside of his head, then Alec was going to do the same to him.

"Pardon?"

"It's your turn to tell me about yourself, Magnus."

Magnus frowned. "Firstly, Alec, you will call me Mr. Bane," he ordered.

"Whatever," Alec laughed, rolling his eyes. Magnus knew Alec's type. The rebel I'm-not-going-to-learn type of student.

Magnus cleared his throat and adjusted his glasses, pushing them up the bridge of his nose. "Well, I'm twenty four. I live a few blocks away from here," he said.

Alec paused, waiting for Magnus to say something else. When Mr. Bane didn't, Alec pushed on and said, "And—?"

Magnus grinned. "That's all you have to know about me," he said cleverly, repeating Alec's words from a few moments earlier.

Alec bit his lip. He didn't expect Magnus to actually talk back to him.

"Whatever. As if I care," Alec growled.

Magnus jotted down stubborn into his notes. He wanted to figure out Alec's mind and see what was the matter with his brain. He didn't know at the time how much of a struggle that would be.

* * *

"Once again, what's the quadratic formula?" Magnus asked. Both Alec and Magnus were seated at the dining room table. Maths was Alec's least favorite subject in school and he despised it. His favorite subject was music because it was the only thing he was actually good at.

He stared down at the table whilst his brain dug up what little reminiscence he had of the formula. "Uh . . . negative b plus or minus the square root of b squared minus four ac all over two a," he said all in one breath.

Magnus smiled brightly. "Good job." he said.

Alec just shrugged.

Throughout the day, Magnus had been trying to figure out what was wrong with Alec. If he was mentally unstable like Ms. Lightwood claimed he was, he was damn good at hiding it. The only thing that was off about him was the excessive clothing.

Alec was good at English, he was alright at history, and science was easy for him. The only thing he was struggling with was maths. Magnus knew that wasn't enough for him to be considered quote "mentally unstable", so what was it? Was it just the fact that he wore lots of clothing? Was that it? No, there had to be more to it.

"Not to be rude— actually, I am trying to be rude— but shouldn't you be leaving soon?" Alec huffed, interrupting Magnus' train of thought.

Magnus glanced over at the kitchen clock on the microwave and nodded feverishly. "Oh, yeah. I should get home and feed my cat before she rips apart the house," he laughed.

Alec simply stared, not finding it amusing.

Magnus coughed awkwardly. "Right, um, I'll see you tomorrow. Goodbye, Alec. It was nice meeting you."

Alec nodded and simply gave him a small wave. "Bye Magnus."

Magnus turned on his heel. "That's Mr. Bane, to you," he said, narrowing his eyes.

Alec just smirked once again and watched Magnus leave, closing the door tightly behind him. He enjoyed making Magnus' life hell. It was nice to see that someone was struggling worse than he was. It was a comforting feeling. The same feeling that he used to get when he bullied kids at his old school.

When he was certain that Mr. Bane was gone, he pulled off his ski mask, throwing it carelessly onto the ground. He shook his head of his hair and stripped out of his constricting clothing and put on a t-shirt and shorts instead. Being in tight, thick clothing all day was difficult for Alec. He preferred going commando, but his mother previously had ordered him to wear concealing clothes. He didn't want to pick a fight with his mum. She appeared petite on the outside, but when she didn't get what she wanted, she was fierce.

Alec glanced out the window. It was dark and he wondered what time it was. He looked down at his wrist and noticed the time. It was almost eight. Beneath his watch was the rose tattoo. It had twelve petals. Didn't Jace say something about each petal representing a month or something like that?

Alec didn't know much about his situation. Sure, Jace explained it, but he didn't understand it. He needed answers.

He decided to go confront Jace about all of it. Maybe he could help him make sense of it all.

* * *

Alec went along the sidewalk with his hood up and head down. He pushed his hands into his pockets and continued to walk at a fast pace. He knew where Jace lived. He googled it.

It was dark, much to Alec's relief, so no by passers noticed Alec's odd appearance. He relished the night time. He could go out in public if he was careful.

Eventually, he found Jace's house. It was in a shady part of town and Alec couldn't help but feel a bit uneasy. The house was run down and had a pair of white, stone gargoyles guarding the front steps.

Creepy, Alec noted, stepping up to knock on the door.

He raised his hand and lightly tapped the wooden door. Within seconds, the door opened. And no, a person didn't open it. It just opened by itself. Alec was tempted to turn around and run right then, but his legs seemed to disagree. He froze.

"H-hello?" Alec called into the silence, poking his head in.

When nobody replied, he took matters into his own hands. He walked inside and looked around. It was very odd looking. It resembled Lady Snake's house, but even more gruesome, if that was at all possible. Skulls and skeletons decorated the walls, and family portraits filled in the spaces. Everything was dark. There seemed to be no lighting what so ever.

"Is anybody home?" Alec asked. Great, Alec's venture was starting to become a typical horror movie. Y'know, the stupid girl goes into the creepy house, even though she knows that she shouldn't. What was he thinking?

For some reason, he kept walking deeper and deeper into the house. He came across a dark hallway, and was enticed to go down it, so he did.

"Hello, Alec," a voice echoed.

Alec spun around and sure enough, there Jace was. He was seated in a room with the door wide open. Alec frowned and stepped inside.

Jace was in a large chair in front of a table, full of potions and cauldrons, bubbling and boiling. Ritual items sat around the room. Lining the walls were thousands and thousands of small bottles, containing colorful liquids. It must've been Jace's lair.

"Hi," Alec said at loss of words.

Jace grinned. "How are you?" he wondered.

Alec just chuckled at that. "How am I? Look at me!" he yelled. He pulled off his hood. His face had scars, burns, and tattoos, and his arms were coated in black markings.

"You deserve it. Now you're just as ugly outside as you are inside," Jace said.

"What does that even mean?" Alec demanded.

"It means exactly what it sounds like," Jace laughed.

"Listen, blondie. I don't know what type of game your playing but it's fucking up my life! This has gone way too far," Alec warned.

Jace sighed. "I'm not playing a game. You got what you deserved."

"I lost everything! I lost my girlfriend, my school, my friends, even my own home! Tell me how to fix this," Alec fumed. He clenched his fists but held back the temptations. He knew violence wouldn't solve anything.

"As I've said before, you have 365 days to find love. If you fail to by then, you'll stay like this forever," he said.

Alec paused. What did that mean exactly?

"Define love," Alec ordered.

Jace laughed at that. "You can't define love, Alec. That's something you must discover for yourself."

Alec rolled his eyes. "So now you're Dr. Phil, too?" he joked.

"Alec, I can't help you. The only way you can fix this is to find love," he replied.

Alec slammed his fist down onto the table, shaking the bottles and potions. "Listen, blondie! You need to change me back right now! I can't do this! I'm living all by myself secluded from the family, I have a fucking home school teacher that wants to get inside my brain, and my entire life is ruined because of you!" he shouted.

Jace gulped and leaned back in his seat. "I'm sorry, Alec. There. Is. Nothing. I. Can. Do," he said slowly.

"Fuck you, Herondale," Alec hissed.

"I'm sorry. Find love. It's the only way to change you back," he encouraged.

Alec didn't bother saying anything else. He simply gave Jace a death glare, then stormed out of his house, slamming the door.

He pulled up his hoodie and started walking back to his apartment. Rain puddles sploshed under his feet whilst he walked through the darkness. He bit his lip in deep thought as he turned down his street.

Alec never believed in love. He thought it was some fictional garbage that only existed in fairy tales. But maybe his life was becoming one.


	5. Chapter 5

Magnus walked back to his flat, images of his new student flashing through his brain. Throughout the day, he had been trying to figure out Alec's brain. He wanted to understand what was wrong but Alec was making it awfully difficult.

Magnus unlocked his door with his keys and stepped inside, kicking his shoes off at the door. He sighed deeply and ran his fingers through his hair.

"Woolsey? I'm home," he announced. Woolsey had been his best friend since primary school. They lived together.

Woolsey looked back from the couch in the nearby living room and watched Magnus take a seat next to him. "How was the new student?" he wondered, genuinely curious. He muted the TV so he could pay attention to what Magnus was saying.

Magnus shrugged slightly. "His name is Alec. . . he's really stubborn." he said. Woolsey watched as Magnus rubbed his temples and breathed out quietly.

"Stubborn? How so?"

"Like, he doesn't want to tell me anything. He's really private," Magnus explained, biting his lip as he dug up the memory of the younger boy in the ski mask.

Woolsey chuckled at that, taking a quick swig of his beer before setting it back down on the coffee table. "Special education kids tend to be like that, Magnus."

"I know, I know. But Alec- well, Alec is different. He acts like he's a normal kid except-"

"Except?" Woolsey pressed on.

"Except, he wears lots of clothes."

Woolsey raised an eyebrow. "Maybe he's just cold?" he wondered.

"No, it's more than that. He wears a fucking ski mask and wears long sleeve shirts and sweat pants," Magnus explained.

Woolsey nodded slowly. "That's a bit weird," he commented.

"Yeah, no kidding. The thing is, he seems normal. He talks normal, he learns normally, he's just a bit mysterious and wears a ski mask for some reason. Don't know what to think of it," Magnus admitted.

"Don't think about it too much, okay? It's only your first day. You'll have his brain figured out sooner or later," Woolsey winked.

Magnus laughed at that, propping his legs up on the coffee table. "I hope so."

* * *

The next day, Alec was awoken once again to a loud knocking sound. Groaning in pure frustration, he kept his eyes closed and chose to ignore the sound. Unfortunately for Alec, the door tapping never ceased.

Alec punched the pillow next to him angrily before climbing out of bed.

"Just a minute!" he yelled, rolling his eyes. He walked into his bathroom where he put in his coloured contacts and pulled the ski mask over his scarred face. He pulled on another long sleeve shirt and grey sweat pants. He really hated these clothes, but if he didn't wear them and somehow if his mother found out she'd throw a fit and he didn't want that.

The knocking continued, and Alec sighed. "I said just a minute!" he almost screamed. Alec checked himself in the mirror one last time, making sure that no neon-coloured veins or scars were exposed. He then proceeded to go back in the living room and open up the door for Mr. Bane.

"Hello," Magnus greeted, a wide smile across his face.

Alec simply grunted in response and closed the door after Mr. Bane walked inside. He set his breif case down on Alec's kitchen table, where he did most of his teaching throughout the day. Alec glared at the back of Mr. Bane's stupid head.

"What do you want to learn first?" Magnus asked.

Alec shrugged as he took a seat next to Mr. Bane around the table. Magnus spread out worksheets and papers across the surface.

"Biology?" Magnus offered.

Alec shrugged again. He really didn't care. He was too tired to focus anyway.

Magnus huffed. "How about you get some tea and some breakfast to wake up. I'll get everything set up," he suggested.

Magnus could've sworn that for once he saw a genuine smile on Alec's lips for a split second as the younger boy stood up and walked towards the kitchen. Not a teasing, annoying smirk, but a real smile. The holes in the ski mask around his lips and eyes were minimum but it was nice to see some sort of expression hidden behind it. At least Magnus knew that Alec wasn't completely emotionless.

Moments later, Alec returned from the kitchen with two mugs of steaming tea and a muffin. He sat down and slid one of the mugs over to Magnus without saying anything. Magnus smiled warmly and thanked Alec, who didn't reply.

Magnus took a few sips and then cleared his throat. "Right, so, biology," he announced. He passed Alec a graph of the fluctuation of bird species populations.

He took the sheet into his hands and sighed in frustration. He didn't like this. He didn't like Magnus, he didn't like learning, he didn't like his new home . . . he didn't like anything.

Magnus left Alec's apartment that evening with more questions than answers. He still didn't understand what was so "mentally unstable" about Alec. He learned perfectly fine, and he didn't look any different- apart from, well, the clothing issue.

When he walked home, he pushed his hands deeper into his pockets and got lost in his thoughts, thinking about his new student. He wished he knew what was going on inside his head. He really wanted to know.

Back at his apartment, Alec watched out his window as Mr. Bane disappeared down the sidewalk, heading towards the opposite side of town. Alec exhaled deeply because although Mr. Bane was annoying as fuck, he provided a sense of companion. When he wasn't there with him, Alec felt incredibly lonely and he couldn't stand being alone.

Alec stripped down to his normal clothes then plopped down onto his couch with his phone in his hand. He scrolled through his unread messages from his old classmates and didn't answer them. According to his mother, he wasn't allowed to. She didn't want Alec's old school to know about what had happened to him.

The clock was ticking to find love, as Jace put it, but how was Alec supposed to find love when he couldn't even leave his own apartment?


	6. Chapter 6

The next few months continued like this; Alec continued to act stubborn and didn't speak to Mr. Bane unless he was spoken to. He treated Mr. Bane like garbage but then, in an odd way, sort of missed his company when he left every evening. Magnus had hoped to at least develop a friendship with Alec in that short period of time, but Alec seemed to have no interest in that. They kept it strictly professional.

And Magnus still had no idea what was so "mentally unstable" about Alec, other than the obvious fact that he was obsessed with staying warm in thick clothing.

Ms. Lightwood's visits to Alec's apartment became less and less frequent. What started as every other day slowly turned into once a week, at most. Alec was stuck in a boring routine. Days passed, which turned to weeks, which eventually passed as flashing months.

One random day, Alec found himself staring down at his wrist in his shower. There were only ten pedals left on the rose, ten months to find love. He wasted so much time and it went by so quickly. He knew he had to find love, and fast, but to be honest Alec was simply lazy.

He had such a short period of time to find love. He couldn't date anyone at his old school- that was too risky. He had to date someone new. But how?

Of course! Alec thought. A dating website.

He always did his best thinking in the shower.

He stepped out of the shower, threw a towel around his waist, and pulled out his laptop. He sat down on his couch and went onto a dating website he heard about on commercials. He signed up and created an account with a fake name. After all, since his mum was a famous model, the name Lightwood was pretty well known. He used the name of Sam Edward.

Alec spent that night chatting with a girl called Maia . By the looks of her profile picture, she was really cute. She had brown short hair and sparkly brown eyes.

She was really nice and flirty, at that. She kept sending Alec winky faces throughout their chat conversation. They agreed to meet for lunch the next day at a park. Alec didn't know how she was going to react to seeing him in a ski mask, but he hoped that she wouldn't make a scene.

I should to go sleep. It's getting late. I'll see you tomorrow, Edward. ;)

Alec laughed as the message popped up on his screen. He slowly typed back, Alright. Goodnight, Maia . xx

Alec closed his laptop and went back into his bedroom, where he slowly fell asleep, hopeful that soon, if he was lucky, he'd change back to normal.

* * *

The next day, Magnus was in the middle of teaching Alec a history lesson when he suddenly stood up, claiming that he had to leave.

"Pardon?" Magnus asked, arching a brow.

"I have to leave. I'm going on a date," he said.

Magnus scoffed at that. "You can't be serious? I'm your teacher, Alec. I tell you what to do, not the other way around," he pointed out.

Alec crossed his arms over his chest. "Must I remind you that my mum is the one paying you so, in a sense, I'm in charge of you," he claimed.

Magnus shook his head, "And I'm the adult here. Listen, Alec. You can't just skip school to go on a date. It doesn't work like that."

"This is so unfair! Just let me leave for an hour or so, please. I'll be back later and I'll even stay up late to make up for it and pay you extra," Alec begged.

Magnus frowned. "Are you even, like, stable enough to go out on your own?" he wondered quietly.

Alec nodded. "Geez, I'm not insane, alright? I can handle myself."

"But Alec-"

"Please, Mr. Bane. Let me leave for an hour, two hours maximum. I'll be back before five and I'll stay until nine to make up for it. Here, I'll give you money," Alec said, reaching into his pocket.

Magnus held up his hand in protest. "No, no. I can't take money from you," he said.

Alec slumped his shoulders. "Mr. Bane . . . please," he asked.

Pushing his glasses back up his nose, Magnus sighed. "I can't believe I'm doing this . . ." he groaned. Although the idea of skipping school for a date was crazy, Magnus couldn't help but feel compassion for the younger boy.

Alec looked at him hopefully. "Is that a yes?"

"Okay, Lightwood. I'll let you go on your stupid date under a few conditions. You can't tell your mum about this and you have to be home by five. If you show up any later, there will be consequences. When you get here, we'll continue on with the learning. Also, I want you to write an essay on the history lesson we were just talking about- one thousand words. Deal?" he offered.

Alec nodded. "Of course! Thank you so much. You have no idea how much this means to me," he thanked him. He gave Magnus a short wave before leaving.

Alec got into his car and started driving towards the cafe to meet his date. Magnus wasn't a friend, hell, he wasn't even an acquittance, but Alec thought that Magnus was slowly becoming a little bit more tolerable.

* * *

Alec's date was, well, unsuccessful to say the very least. When Maia saw that Alec was clad in a ski mask, she ran away and didn't give Alec a second glance. Alec called after her but she kept on running.

Great, I skipped school, agreed to write a 1000 word essay, and recieved many, many weird looks for this? Alec thought to himself.

When Alec got home that evening, Magnus immediately started asking him questions.

"Alec?" Magnus shouted when he heard the front door open. Alec is late, Magnus mused as the younger boy slammed the door shut. He arrived home five minutes later than their agreement, to be exact, and Magnus was furious. They had a deal. For fuck's sake, Magnus was breaking the rules for him and he has the nerve to show up late?

Magnus fumed. "Alec you're late! Remember our deal? Care to explain-"

Magnus was cut off by another door slam. This time, Alec was inside of his bedroom. He locked the door. Magnus groaned in annoyance and pounded his fist against Alec's bedroom door.

"Open up! Alec, we had a deal! After your date you agreed to learn and-"

"Go away!" Alec yelled from inside his room. Magnus sighed deeply.

"Stop acting like a child and open the fucking door," Magnus said. He realised that he just swore in front of his student but at the moment he really didn't care. He was so mad.

"Leave me alone!"

Magnus wondered what had happened. I shouldn't had let him leave in the first place. This is all my fault. Why is it so hard to say 'no' to him? Magnus thought.

"Alec, you agreed to learn when you got back so please open this door-"

Magnus was suddenly cut off by the sound of . . . crying?

Now Magnus was starting to felt bad for yelling. Did Alec's date really go that bad?

Magnus jiggled the locked door knob. "Please, let me talk to you. I promise I won't yell," Magnus assured him. His voice now was more gentle and concerned.

When Alec didn't reply, and the only sound that filled the air was Alec's quiet sobs, Magnus decided to take matters into his own hands.

He flattened out a paper clip that he had attached to a few files and started picking Alec's lock. Eventually, the door clicked, and Magnus swung it open.

"Alec," Magnus breathed. There he was, lying on his stomach in his bed with his face squished in a pillow. Magnus had been teaching Alec for months but this was his first time seeing his room.

Mr. Bane sat on the corner of Alec's bed and frowned. "What happened?" he asked.

Alec grumbled. "I told you to leave me alone."

"Will you at least tell me what's bothering you-"

Alec suddenly sat up and looked at Mr. Bane angrily. "You don't care it's your fucking job!" he accused.

Magnus' breath caught in his throat. And no, it wasn't from the sound of Alec's yelling voice. It was because, when Magnus looked at Alec's face, he saw bright, red flaming eyes staring back at him.

"Your eye," Magnus squeaked. "It's. . . red."

Alec scoffed. "I'm crying, of course my eyes are red," he scowled, wiping away his tears.

"No I mean your eye is really red," he muttered.

Alec suddenly caught on to what was happening and gasped. He looked down at his pillow and there lied one of his coloured contacts. It must've fallen out when he had his face squished in it. Without his coloured contacts, which temporarily changed Alec's eyes back to their normal blue colour, it was obvious that there was something physically different about him.

"I, uh, shit," Alec breathed.

"Your eye is . . . like, really beautiful, though," Magnus admitted, and then blushed.

Alec gulped and pulled out the second contact, deciding that it didn't matter anymore. It felt nice and relieving to not have a piece of plastic blocking his tears as they filled his eyes.

"Wow," Magnus said breathlessly.

"I know, my eyes are like demon eyes, alright?" Alec growled.

Magnus shook his head. "No! They're, uh, really pretty," he said honestly. Alec's eyes were the brightest shade of red he had ever seen, speckled with flecks of gold. Magnus wondered why he tried to hide them.

"Whatever. Stop pretending and just leave."

"No. Not until you tell me what happened," Magnus said, suddenly remembering the task at hand.

Alec lost it right then, almost like the last fiber of control inside of him snapped. He curled his fists and let out all of his anger. All of the frustration that he had kept bottled up inside for the past few months.

"My date fucking ran away from me because I'm a monster, alright? Is that what you wanted to hear?" Alec screamed.

Magnus gulped. "Y-you're not a monster. Stop calling yourself that."

"But it's the truth! Fuck it, you don't understand!"

"Maybe she was just creeped out because you were wearing a ski mask?" Magnus delicately suggested.

"Trust me, wearing a ski mask is better than showing her the real me," Alec scoffed.

"What's wrong with the real you?"

"You don't want to know," Alec said, staring down at his hands.

Magnus stared back at his student. "Yes, I do Alec! What's so bad about you that you have to cover up your face and-"

Magnus was cut off by Alec asking him a simple question.

"Can you see without your glasses?" he wondered. There was a fraction of silence before Magnus answered.

Mr. Bane raised an eyebrow but then shook his head. "No, actually, I can't. Not very well. Why?"

Alec showed no emotion as he reached over and slowly slipped off Magnus' glasses, leaving his teacher nearly blind. Magnus was about to ask questions but again, he was cut off.

"Just shut up, alright?" Alec chuckled darkly. Magnus squinted his eyes and tried to see Alec, but all he could see was foggy blobs. He gave up. He couldn't see hardly anything without his glasses. He rested his glasses on the bedside table.

Alec cautiously took off his ski mask and set it to the side. Slowly, he leaned in closer to Magnus. He was so close that he could feel the older boy's breath ticking against his neck.

"I'm going to try something, okay? Just trust me," Alec said. It was the first time Magnus had seen this side of Alec- so vulnerable and fragile. Mr. Bane slowly nodded cautiously.

Magnus was blinded- literally- as he felt a warm pair of lips press against his own. He froze but didn't fight back or make any moves to try to stop it. Alec ran his fingers through his teacher's hair and moved their lips together.

Magnus opened up his mouth, allowing Alec to shove his tongue into it and explore new boundaries. Magnus threaded his hands through Alec's hair and felt it for the first time. Previously it had been concealed in the mask, but now, his hair were free and Magnus just couldn't get enough. Magnus imagined Alec being gorgeous.

They pulled away, out of breath. They stayed silent for a few moments, only enjoying the steady beats of each other's hearts. Magnus was dying to see Alec's face. He was longing to know what he looked like.

Almost as if Alec could read his thoughts, he reached over and placed his glasses back onto Magnus' face. Magnus blinked a few times, adjusting to the sudden clarity. As he looked up, he realised what Alec had been hiding all this time.

"Oh."


	7. Chapter 7

**[ Not too sure about this chapter but I left you all with a cliffhanger & I wanted to update . . . so . . . enjoy I guess? ]**

Alec was confused. He had never looked at another boy like this before, but seeing Magnus there with a caring look on his face simply made him melt. Mr. Bane was undeniably good looking but Alec wasn't bi, no, he didn't like boys. He liked girls. In fact, he really liked girls.

But, nonetheless, Alec kissed him in the heat of the moment. Strangely enough, he liked it. It was different and new and he only wanted more. But unfortunately, all good things must come to an end.

And when he put his glasses back on to Magnus' feminine-like face, the only word that came out of Magnus' mouth was "oh".

Oh.

Out of all of the words in the English dictionary, Magnus chose to say oh. He immediately knew that it hurt Alec.

"Leave," Alec mumbled, blush rising to his cheeks. He was so confused and more than anything furious.

Magnus was speechless. He didn't know what to think of it- or anything, for that matter. It was like he was frozen. His thoughts were stuck and his lips were locked. He wanted to say something, he really did, but his brain seemed to disagree.

He wanted to tell Alec that he enjoyed it. He wanted to lean in and kiss him again. He wanted to say that he really thought Alec's scars and burns were beautiful but he simply couldn't.

So he got up, turned around, and left Alec sitting on his bed with tears in his eyes, and a strong feeling of rejection in his gut.

* * *

"Woolsey, I'm home," Magnus called, stepping inside of their shared apartment. Magnus slipped his keys onto the hook in the wall and kicked off his shoes. He walked into the kitchen and set his briefcase on the counter before stepping into the living room.

As usual, Woolsey was sitting there watching the tellie with a bowl of ice cream in his lap, stuffing his face. Magnus chuckled as he sat down next to him.

"How was work?" Woolsey wondered, with chocolate ice cream oozing from the corners of his mouth as he spoke.

"Alright I suppose," Magnus hummed, leaning back into the sofa.

"You're home later than usual," Woolsey noted.

Magnus bit his lip, "Uh, yeah. Something came up," he explained plainly.

Woolsey nodded cautiously, "You alright? You seem a bit off." he wondered.

"I'm fine. A bit tired, 's all. It's been a long day. I think I'll go to sleep now. I'll see you in the morning," Magnus said, giving Woolsey's shoulder a gentle squeeze.

"Goodnight, Magnus."

Magnus smiled gently then walked down the hall and into his bedroom. He closed his door behind him and plopped down face-first onto his bed, causing the mattress to jiggle. He huffed into the strong, clean scent of his pillow and sighed deeply.

He tried falling asleep but all he could think about was Alec. Alec's luscious hair, his bright, red eyes, and that large burn across his white cheek. The way his lips moved against Magnus' like a soft ballet . . . and the way that Magnus didn't really want it to stop.

In general, just Alec.

Why couldn't he get the beast boy out of his head?

* * *

"Have a nice day at work," Woolsey told Magnus the next day as he made his way out the door.

"Thanks, Woolsey. I'll try."

He walked down several blocks to reach Alec's apartment complex. During his walk, he listened to his music play through his ear buds, and the faint sound of his shoes tapping against the pavement with each step. He was feeling a bit nervous about seeing Alec after what had happened the day before, but music usually calmed him down.

Magnus sucked in a deep breath as approached Alec's door. He slowly gathered up enough courage to knock on the door. A shock of fear went up his spine as he waited impatiently for Alec to answer.

After several moments of silence, Magnus had enough. "Alec open the door," he grunted.

Nothing.

"Fine then," Magnus mumbled to himself. He set his briefcase down onto the floor and pried his fingers through his pocket as he searched for the spare key that Maryse had given to him. He smiled when he curled his fingers around the small little piece of metal. He slipped the key into the lock and twisted his wrist to unlock it. Smiling in satisfaction, he put his key back into his pocket, picked up his briefcase, and walked inside.

"Alec?" Magnus said as he closed the door tightly behind him. He looked around but there was no sign of the beast boy.

He must be in his bedroom, Magnus assumed. He walked into the younger boy's bedroom, expecting to see him sleeping on his bed, but he was no where in sight. He then started panicking.

"Alec?" he repeated, looking around the apartment. Alec wasn't in the kitchen, the living room, or anywhere. When Magnus was about to give up and go home, something caught his attention. Sitting on the counter was a note written sloppily across a sticky note.

Mr. Bane,

I've decided to leave. Don't come looking for me.

-Alec.

Magnus' breath shook as he re-read the note over and over again. What did he mean leave? Leave where?

"Shit," Magnus swore under his breath as he stuffed the note into his pocket. He pulled out his phone and dialed Maryse's number speedily.

When she didn't answer, Magnus left her a message. "Maryse? It's me, Magnus. Uh, your son is . . . well, he's gone. I don't know what to say but . . . I'm going to go looking for him. Call me back, please." he said quickly before hanging up.

He didn't want to call the police because if he did, he would have to give a description of Alec and, well, that wasn't exactly the easiest thing to describe. So police were out of the question.

He picked up his coat and walked outside. And, as if the heavens had planned to deliberately make Magnus' life hell, it started raining. Magnus didn't have a car so he'd have to do a lot of walking.

He decided to check downtown. He walked around the shops and pulled up his hood over his head. He gritted his teeth in annoyance because, damn, fucking Alec Lightwood got him into this mess. Why was he being so immature about all of this? Like a damn twelve year old running away.

He was just mindlessly walking down the street. He didn't know exactly what he was looking for. Would Alec be wearing his ski mask or not? He didn't know. He just kept searching for those identifiable flaming pair of eyes.

* * *

Magnus spent thirty minutes looking down town for Alec. He wished that he had Alec's number so he could call him but he left his phone back at his house and that was on the complete opposite side of town. He kept walking.

He felt his stomach grumble with hunger. Yeah, he was starving. Magnus went inside of the small bakery and decided to take a break and fill his empty belly. He ordered a croissant and tea, then sat down and scarfed it all up. He checked his phone and nope, Ms. Lightwood hadn't called or texted him yet. He wondered if Maryse even really cared about Alec well being, or simply her reputation in the modeling industry.

Shrugging, Magnus slipped his phone back into his pocket and continued eating. Feeling satisfied, he threw away the wrappers and continued his search for his student.

As he turned down another street, a soft movement caught his attention out of the corner of his eye. He cautiously went back and gasped at the sight in front of him.

"Alec?" he squeaked. There was a hidden dark alley that lead down in between two buildings. It wasn't noticeable unless you looked hard enough. It was dark and smelly, full of mice and rats. Curled up next to a dumpster was Alec, leaning up against the brick wall. No ski mask- nothing. Just his natural beauty.

His hair was wet and his clothes were soaked. He smelled of animal feces and trash. He looked so fragile and weak, like a China doll.

"Shit, Alec," Magnus muttered, kneeling next to him.

Alec fluttered open his bright red eyes.

"Mr. Bane, I told you t-to not come find me . . . can't you read?" Alec choked.

"Shut up, Alec! You had me scared half to death!" Magnus nearly screamed.

"Oh, so you suddenly care?" Alec grunted.

"Alec, I-"

"Leave me here, I'm garbage." Alec hissed. He pulled his hoodie up further and coughed into his arm, wheezing languidly.

"C'mon, you need to come home."

"Why?" Alec said coldly.

"Because you're coughing and probably sick-"

"You don't care . . . i-it's your job," Alec said, his voice cracking with repugnance.

"I do care Alec, please believe me." Magnus begged.

"Go away. You don't care about me, alright? And if you do, you shouldn't. I'm a fucking monster." Alec insisted.

"You're not, Alec. Will you listen to me?"

"Why? Y'know what, you don't care. You never will. I'm another one of your stupid students and it was dumb of me to think otherwise." Alec huffed.

Alec was cut off by the feeling of a familiar pair of lips pressing against his. He tensed at first from the shock, but then adjusted and moved his back, combing his fingers through Mr. Bane's feathery like hair.

Magnus didn't give it a second thought as he slipped his tongue into Alec's mouth and wrapped his arms firmly around Alec's neck. How could something feel so right yet feel so wrong at the same time?

Alec pulled away circumspectly, looking at his teacher in pure bewilderment. Both of them merely stared at each other, flecks of curiosity and wonder in their eyes.

Alec was the first to speak, "Mr. Bane, I- uh, I'm sorry," he paused, "for running away, I mean. I shouldn't have done that. I overreacted."

"No, I should've reacted better yesterday, I'm sorry too," Magnus explained.

Alec was about to talk when Magnus held his index finger to his cold, cracked lips, preventing him from speaking. He hushed him.

"How about I just get you home, alright? We'll talk later." Magnus said, a slight smile creeping onto his face.

Magnus and Alec weren't even friends, they definitely weren't partners, and acquaintances was an over statement . . . but neither could deny that there was at least something between them. So what were they? They didn't know, nor did they care at the moment.

Alec nodded feverishly, "Yeah, thanks Magnus."

Magnus paused before helping Alec off of the hard ground, "That's Mr. Bane, to you," he laughed.


	8. Chapter 8

"Here, lie down on the couch. I'll make you a drink," Magnus insisted. Alec hummed in response and collapsed onto the couch, sighing deeply in relaxation. He lied his head on the arm rest and propped his legs up on the other side. He watched Mr. Bane's hips sway as he made his way into the kitchen. Alec couldn't help but bite his lip and watch Magnus' ass swivel back and forth with each step.

Could Magnus' bum be more perfect? The answer is no, it couldn't. It was so big and firm, yet it wiggled when he walked and Alec just stared at it. His ass was undeniably hot, especially in those tight, black jeans. Alec had no idea how Magnus managed to squeeze into those.

Magnus returned moments later with a steaming cup of tea and gave it to Alec, who thanked him quietly. Magnus sat down in the rocking chair across from the couch and watched Alec drink it slowly in careful sips. He watched Alec's lips brush against the rim of the cup as he took a sip and Magnus thought it was so incredibly gorgeous.

But then he reminded himself how incredibly wrong it was to think that of his student.

Magnus cleared his throat, "Uh, you should probably get out of those wet clothes," he noted.

Alec nodded, taking one last final sip of his tea. Without saying anything else, he got up and walked into his room. Magnus watched Alec disappear into his chamber and he accidentally didn't close it all the way, leaving it cracked slightly ajar.

And yes, Magnus could see perfectly fine into Alec's room through that small little opening in the doorway.

Shit, look away, Magnus said to himself, but his body seemed to disagree. He didn't budge.

He licked his lips as he watched Alec slowly undress, ridding himself of his smelly clothes that were drenched with rain. Alec took off his top first. Magnus gulped as Alec peeled off his shirt, revealing his bare back. His back was so muscular yet there were cute little dimples at the bottom of his spine that drove Magnus wild. And not to mention the burns and scars across his milky white skin.

Then, Alec slid down his sweat pants and boxers down to his ankles in one go, leaving his naked bum free to Magnus' sight and enjoyment. It took all of his strength to look away because- damn, this was so wrong. Magnus groaned under his breath and rubbed his temples in frustration.

Moments later, Alec walked out, wearing a fresh outfit. Magnus smiled warmly as Alec lied down back on the couch. He tried pushing all thoughts of Alec's naked body to the back of his brain.

"Um . . . you don't have to stay here, if you don't want to," Alec spoke up.

Magnus swallowed thickly, "Y-yeah, I suppose you're right. I should head home . . . er, bye Alec."

"Bye, Mr. Bane," Alec waved. Magnus gave him a gentle glance- not a smile, just a glance- and then left. As he walked home, he couldn't get Alec out of his mind.

When Mr. Bane went home, he left Alec's apartment empty and cold. Alec didn't like it because he truly felt alone. He felt alone. He didn't have his mum, he didn't have his friends, or his old school, but what he did have was Magnus.

* * *

"Woolsey . . . I fucked up," Magnus sighed, throwing his head into his hands. His brain was buzzing and he couldn't think straight. Okay, kissing your student one time was a mistake, but twice was a choice . . . and that definitely was not okay.

"What happened?" Woolsey wondered, passing his mate a bottle of beer across the kitchen island.

Magnus muttered a quick thank you and popped off the cap before taking a quick swig. He rubbed his eyes tiredly and glanced up at Woolsey, who was clad in only sweat pants, leaving his chest bare. He was leaning up against the counter with his blond hair flying in different directions. A thin layer of stubble lied on his chin, causing him to resemble that of a homeless drug addict.

"I kissed him," Magnus said plainly.

Woolsey raised an eyebrow, "Who?"

Magnus inhaled a deep breath before answering sharply, "Alec."

Woolsey's eyes widened a bit, "Alec as in, your student? The mentally ill one?" he asked.

"Yes! I fucked up," Magnus gritted through clenched teeth. Flashes of kissing the beast boy passed through his brain. Woolsey sighed, "I know you're gay Magnus but, c'mon, Alec is mentally ill-"

"He's not ill, Woolsey! He's a human being, alright?" Magnus defended.

"Whatever, Magnus. This is wrong. Like, really wrong. What were you thinking?" Woolsey scolded.

"I wasn't thinking."

"Obviously," Woolsey huffed.

Magnus shot him a glare, "I'm an idiot. It was stupid and now things are going to be awkward between Alec and I."

"Well, it was just a one time thing, right? Maybe he'll forget about it."

"That's the thing, Woolsey . . . I, er, I kissed him twice," Magnus said quietly, staring down at his hands. He rubbed his thumb over the condensation of his bottle. He didn't dare to look Woolsey in the eye.

"Yeah, you were right," Woolsey exhaled deeply. Magnus looked up at him cautiously.

"About what?" he asked.

Woolsey smirked, "About being an idiot."

* * *

The next day, Magnus went to Alec's apartment with an entirely new aspect on the situation. Previously, he hadn't given his situation with Alec much thought, but after doing some late night thinking he realized that it could get him fired and probably in trouble with the law.

It needed to stop. No matter how much he wanted things with Alec to continue . . . it had to stop.

He knocked on the door, and within seconds, Alec opened the door. He smiled, showing off his dimples, making little wrinkles appear in his bright, red burn above his eye. Magnus was tempted to just kiss him right there, tell him how beautiful he is, and how badly he wants him, but he stayed strong.

"Hey Magnus how are you-"

"Let's just get started on geography, yeah?" Magnus huffed, nudging Alec to the side. Magnus walked over to the kitchen and set his brief case on the table, then pulled out several worksheets and papers and sprawled them across the surface.

Alec raised an eyebrow and walked over beside him, "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, why do you ask?" Magnus said in the most professional matter he could.

Alec cleared his throat and took a seat, "Never mind."

"Alright, so let's get started, yeah? Here, we can start with chapter five."

Alec took the book from him and cautiously looked up at Magnus, "Mr. Bane . . . are we ever going to talk about . . . y'know, the kiss? And, well, the other kiss?" he asked.

Magnus looked down at the table, then back up to Alec, "I don't think that's a good idea, Alec."

Alec could literally feel his heart throbbing at those words. He liked Mr. Bane and he didn't know why. It drove him absolutely crazy. Maybe it was because he was so isolated and he was going insane, but something about Mr. Bane made Alec crave him.

"So we're just going to act like nothing happened?" Alec squeaked.

Magnus bit his lip and nodded slowly, "Precisely."

"But-"

"Alec," Magnus sighed, "What we did is wrong. We both know that. Let's just drop it, alright?" he snapped.

Magnus forced himself to look away from Alec's gaze. He didn't do it soon enough, though, because he noticed Alec's fiery red eyes glistening with crystal tears.


	9. Chapter 9

"You want me to act like nothing happened?" Alec wondered, his voice fading. Magnus continued to stare down at the papers in his hands and pretended like he didn't hear him.

"Fine," Alec muttered under his breath. Magnus moistened his lips quickly and passed Alec a few sheets of paper, and flipped to a certain page in the large, blue text book.

"Just finish this chapter," Magnus grumbled, avoiding Alec's eye contact. Alec swallowed, his throat bobbing, shook his head lightly, and continued to work on it. Magnus didn't say anything for the rest of the night.

And just like that, everything was back to being strictly professional. Alec didn't like it. He enjoyed talking to Magnus, laughing with him, and getting to know him, but clearly Magnus didn't want that . . . right?

Magnus walked home later that night and didn't tell Alec goodbye or even mumble out a farewell. He simply got up when his time was over and left. To be brutally honest, it hurt Alec and made him feel like shit to see Mr. Bane leave like that.

So when Magnus left, Alec sighed and went over to his bedroom where he collapsed on the bed. He fell asleep dreaming about his feathery haired teacher with sparkly golden eyes . . . and how much he wanted to be more to him than just a student.

* * *

"Was it awkward?" Woolsey asked when Magnus arrived home to their flat and settled down onto the couch.

Magnus shrugged, "We didn't talk much but . . . yeah, it kinda hurt."

Woolsey flashed him an apologetic smile, "You did the right thing, Magnus."

"I hope so," Magnus hummed.

"You did, trust me," Woolsey said, "if it continued you could've lost your job and been charged for taking advantage of a mentally ill underage boy and-"

"Firstly, Woolsey, I didn't take advantage of him. We kissed, that's all. And secondly, he's not ill," Magnus said firmly.

Woolsey tilted his head, "If he's not, then why would his mum ask a teacher for the mentally ill to teach him?" he asked confusedly.

Magnus gulped, staring down at his hands, "It- It's complicated, Woolsey. Just trust me when I say this, Alec's normal . . . mentally, I mean. He learns perfectly fine and he's smart and-"

"Your student," Woolsey cut him off.

Magnus nodded slowly, "Yeah. That's the only thing stopping me."

Woolsey bit his lip in deep thought, "If you like him that much, why don't you quit?"

Magnus shook his head, "No, I can't do that. We need the money. Do you know how much Ms. Lightwood is paying me?" he asked. Woolsey shook his head slowly. "A lot," he continued, "And also, I agreed to teach Alec for the rest of the year."

"You'll just have to suck it up, then. Grow a pair and move on." Woolsey said some what humorously.

"I wish it was that simple, Woolsey. Alec's different. He's funny and charming, not to mention mysterious," Magnus said. There was a small fraction of silence. Neither of them said anything.

"I don't know what to say, Magnus, but . . . you did the right thing." Woolsey said almost in a whisper.

"You're probably right," Magnus admitted.

Woolsey laughed, "I'm always right!"

Magnus rolled his eyes, "The thing is, as much as I want to ignore Alec, I still have to do my job . . . which means I have to get to know him- get inside his brain, y'know? But how do I do that without getting personal?" Magnus asked.

Woolsey rubbed his chin for a moment, "You could give him an assignment that involves letting out his feelings or somethin'," he suggested lightly.

Magnus gave him an uncertain look, "And how am I supposed to do that?"

Woolsey shrugged, "I don't know! You're the teacher!"

Magnus playfully shoved Woolsey's shoulder. Yeah, they were best friends. They bickered sometimes, argued, teased each other, but in the end, they always had each other's backs.

* * *

Alec awoke the next morning to a loud banging on his door. He tossed his duvet to the side, sludged out of bed, looked out the peek hole in the door, and frowned when he saw Mr. Bane standing out in the hallway. He opened it up.

And there Magnus was, standing there with one of his hands stuffed in his pocket, and the other tightly clutching his briefcase. His hair was pushed to the side and looked so soft and touchable. He was clad in a professional black blazer and cream trousers, like he wore every day. He looked sorta dorky, but Alec nonetheless thought it was cute.

But then Alec reminded himself how terrible Mr. Bane's personality was and he frowned. Yes, Magnus was handsome, but he was cruel. He teased Alec, kissed him- twice- and then had the nerve to say that he wanted to keep things between them even less than platonic.

Alec hated every bit and fiber of the older man standing before him.

"Please come in," Alec said sarcastically. Yeah, he wasn't much of a morning person. He ignored Mr. Bane behind him completely and walked into the kitchen. He poured himself a cup of tea and added a few sugar cubes, watching them dissolve into the hot liquid.

He was startled when he turned around to see Mr. Bane standing incredibly close to him.

"I want to work on poetry today," Magnus said, looking up to meet Alec's red orbs.

Alec raised an eyebrow, "Poetry?" he said, stirring his spoon around in his mug, swirling the tea.

"Yeah, y'know, like feelings and such."

Alec glanced down to meet those shiny, golden eyes hidden behind black frames. He didn't say anything. He simply nodded.

"So let's get started," Magnus said emotionless, thrusting a sheet of paper at Alec's chest.

Alec cocked an eyebrow, "That's it? No guide lines? Nothing?"

Magnus shook his head, "Nope. Just let your feelings out, that's all."

Alec sat down at the kitchen island on the bar stool and clicked his pen. Let his feelings out, huh? That should be fun. After all, Alec had a lot of feelings bottled up inside that were screaming to be set free.

* * *

Magnus' eyes scanned across Alec's paper at the end of the day. Magnus expected to read a very lengthy poem about the difficulties of being a teenager, or the mystery of how he got those burns and scratches, or how much of a struggle it was to be the son of a famous model . . . but it was none of those things. In fact, there were no words on the paper. Only a picture.

"I know it's not poetry," Alec spoke up, causing Magnus' eyes to glance up at him, "but I couldn't think of anything to write so . . . I just drew a picture instead."

Mr. Bane nodded cautiously and looked back at the picture. It was good, really good.

"After all, you know what they say, a picture's worth a thousand words," Alec spoke softly.

"I didn't know you could draw," Magnus commented.

Alec frowned, "There's a lot you don't know about me."

Magnus bit his lip and looked back down at the paper. The drawing was done only in pencil, but was still beautiful. It was of who appeared to be Alec staring at himself in a mirror in an empty room, except in the mirror was a monster with claws and sharp teeth and fur. A beast, Magnus assumed.

In the drawing, lying on the ground was a rose with pedals scattered across the floor. Alec was right, a picture is worth a thousand words, yet Magnus couldn't think of one to describe how breathtaking it was.

"It's . . . it's really beautiful, Alec. Mind explaining it?" Magnus asked.

Alec swallowed thickly, "It's about how I got my appearance," he said.

Magnus cocked an eyebrow, "And how is that, exactly?" he pushed.

Alec chuckled lightly, "I'm surprised you didn't ask earlier why I have burns and scars and bright red eyes."

Magnus shrugged, "I didn't want to make you insecure or bring up bad memories or-"

" It's alright. I get it," Alec interrupted.

Magnus passed the paper back to Alec, "So, how about you tell me your story," he offered.

Alec raised an eyebrow, "You sure?"

"Yes . . . well, for professional reasons only, of course."

"Of course," Alec mimicked.

Magnus moistened his lips and leaned up against the counter, crossing his arms over his chest, "What happened?" he asked.

Alec sighed, gesturing towards the living room couches, "You might want to sit down. It's a long story."

**[Author's note: I'm really sorry but I have to put this story on hold for 64 days because I have to study for my final. I promise to update this story after 64 days. I'm really sorry and kill me for doing cliffhangers and now you have to wait for 64 days to know what happen]**


	10. Chapter 10

Magnus took the risk of sitting on the sofa next to Alec. Even though he wanted to stay as far as way as possible, he wanted to properly have a conversation with him and he knew that sometimes Alec mumbled and that he'd have to sit close to hear him clearly. So he sat next to him, which was a bold and dangerous move.

Magnus felt incredibly guilty about treating Alec like trash. He had been ignoring him and it was killing him inside but . . . deep down, he knew it was the right thing to do. He couldn't deny he had feelings for the younger boy. Not big feelings, but there was something there. Every time he saw Alec he got butterflies in his stomach and that definitely had to mean something, right?

And there was no doubt that Magnus found Alec attractive. Alec was just so tall and muscular and Magnus couldn't get enough of it. The thing that drove him crazy was Alec's red eyes. Every single time Alec looked at him with those flaming red orbs, Magnus melted. In addition, Magnus found Alec's multiple scars and tattoos and burns undeniably gorgeous, and he could literally spend an entire day looking at every square inch of Alec's beautiful body.

But every time Magnus caught himself staring at Alec for too long, he'd remind himself that Alec was his student and it was incredibly wrong to do that. That stupid voice in the back of his head was always telling him to stop.

Alec felt conflicted about Mr. Bane. His attraction to the man was more physical than anything. He thought Magnus was incredibly fit and handsome. Alec had never liked another boy before, so his attraction to Magnus was a bit odd- scratch that, a lot odd. He wanted to ignore it but he simply couldn't.

Alec was about to confess his biggest secret to someone that didn't even care about him. What had he gotten himself into?

"So," Magnus said, clearing his throat to break the awkward silence.

"Right, the story. Well, I guess the first thing you should know is that I used to be really popular back at my old school. I didn't always have these scars and stuff, y'know? I had perfect skin and hair and eyes. I was kinda worshiped by everyone else," Alec admitted..

"Very modest," Magnus scoffed.

"I'm being honest, Mr. Bane."

Magnus sighed, "Okay, okay . . . continue."

"Thanks. Anyway, as I was saying, I was really popular but I teased people a lot. I was nice to about five percent of my school and the rest I treated like dirt. I was a monster," Alec said, his throat bobbing as his brain dug up the memory of himself from a few months back.

"You were a bully?" Mr. Bane asked softly.

"Precisely. Well, one day I teased this kid named Jace. I was making fun of him because he was a jerk and dumped his lunch on me-"

Magnus giggled at the thought of Alec getting food expelled on him, interrupting Alec's story.

"It's not funny!" Alec squealed.

"I know, I know. I'm sorry, go on," Magnus said, fighting back a smile.

Alec shot him a short glare, "Right, so, I was making fun of him when he suddenly said that he'd get his revenge or something like that. I didn't think much of it. The next morning, I woke up and . . . yeah, I looked like this."

Magnus tilted his head, "How is that even possible?"

"I don't know. We went to see a doctor and he said he had no idea. Jace said that I had 365 days to find love, and when all of the pedals disappear from the rose tattoo on my wrist- each pedal represents one month- then I'll stay like this forever," Alec said, his voice fading at the end.

Magnus rose an eyebrow and grabbed Alec's wrist, examining Alec's tainted skin. The rose only had nine pedals left.

"You have nine months," Magnus said weakly.

Alec uncomfortably pulled his hand back, "Yeah."

"And your mum didn't want the public to see you, so she made up a bullshit story about you being mentally ill to keep you home schooled?" Magnus said, catching on.

"Yup," Alec said, popping the p. Magnus placed his hand on Alec's thigh, trying to comfort him.

"I don't know what to say," Magnus gulped.

"Don't say anything. Please don't feel sorry for me, I don't need your pity." Alec spat.

Magnus stared down at the ground, removing his hand from Alec's leg, "So that's it then? We're back to where we were before? Nothing is going to change between us, right?" he asked, his voice cracking with vulnerability.

Alec shook his head, "I don't know. Why can't we be friends? I don't get it. I understand if you don't want to be a thing with me, but a friendship won't hurt."

Magnus inhaled a sharp breath, "But it'll hurt me."

Alec scoffed, "Why? This is bull! You're just going to continue to hate me and give me the cold shoulder and treat me like shit?"

"Alec, I can't be friends with you, alright?" Magnus snapped.

"Why!?" Alec demanded.

"Because I can't just be friends with you! If I get too personal I know I'm going to fall for you and that can't happen, alright? Is that what you wanted to hear?" Magnus growled, standing up from the sofa angrilly.

Alec swallowed thickly, "Magnus- I mean, Mr. Bane, we can't act like there's nothing between us, though."

"We can try," Magnus said, almost in a whisper.

"You sure 'bout that?" Alec asked, standing up as well. He stood a few inches over Magnus, even though he was a few years younger. Alec brought up his thumb and gently brushed it over Magnus' cheek, sending shivers down the older boy's spine.

"Alec-"

"Shh," Alec whispered, cupping Magnus' face gently. He stared intently into his eyes and leaned in, going for a kiss. Magnus' stomach bubbled as he moved in as well, tortuously slow. Magnus could feel himself melting as he felt Alec's hot breath brush against his face.

Right before their lips were about to touch, Magnus' brain told him no, so he turned his head quickly to the side, causing Alec to kiss his cheek instead of his lips.

Magnus shoved him away and muttered a quick apology. He grabbed his coat and briefcase and left, leaving a stunned and broken Alec behind.

* * *

"Woolsey, I did it again," Magnus sighed, grabbing a piece of pizza from the box. They were watching a match on the tellie and enjoying dinner in the living room, casually chatting about their days.

"Did what?" Woolsey asked with a mouth full of pizza. His cheeks were stuffed like a chipmunk's. Pizza sauce oozed from the corners of his mouth. Magnus chuckled and wiped friend's mouth with a napkin, dabbing away the sauce. Woolsey laughed and thanked him.

"You're so messy," Magnus joked.

"I know. I'm sorry! Anyway, you were saying?"

"Right, well, eh- I almost kissed Alec again today," Magnus said, avoiding Woolsey's eye contact.

Woolsey almost choked on his food and stared at his friend with wide eyes, "Again!?" he demanded.

Magnus blushed bright red, "Yeah."

"Geez, this is the third time! Maybe you need to call Ms. Lightwood and quit. This is getting out of hand," Woolsey said.

"I said I almost kissed him. I stopped myself. At least I'm controlling myself," Magnus shrugged.

"I know you're gay, Magnus, but going after your student? Really? Are you that desperate?" Woolsey asked, laughing a bit, but Magnus didn't find it funny at all.

"Shut up," Magnus hissed.

Woolsey rolled his eyes, "I was just joking-"

"I'm going to sleep. Night," Magnus huffed.

He put his remaining pizza back into the box and shuffled into his room, ignoring Woolsey's desperate and whiny apologies behind him. He walked into his room and shut the door with a frustrated slam, remembering to lock it.

_[I'm so done with my school friends. I don't want to self harm myself again so I wrote this chapter.. I feel shit and I took sleeping pills because I really don't want to go to school]_


	11. Chapter 11

Alec lounged around his apartment lazily, never even bothering to get properly dressed. It was Saturday afternoon, and Alec's feelings towards it were bitter sweet. He was happy because simply he didn't want to see Magnus, not after the way he treated him. Alec felt completely rejected by the older boy and it made him feel like dirt.

But, in an odd sense, Alec sort of missed Magnus. He wanted his company and loved the way that Magnus always was willing to listen. He tried to understand Alec, unlike everyone else who just turned their backs on him.

Alec's place was a little too quiet for his liking. He felt uncomfortable walking around in still silence. He was used to hearing Magnus' voice yelling at him to do homework or something stupid like that. He missed hearing the pitter patter of Magnus' bare feet across the carpet. He missed the sight of Magnus in the kitchen, with his glasses fixed on his nose, typing away at his laptop.

He missed Magnus in general.

Mr. Bane wasn't exactly happy either. He was cooped up in his small bedroom flat with Woolsey, who he was still giving the cold shoulder. Woolsey just didn't understand. He didn't understand what it was like for Magnus to have to restrain himself from attacking Alec's lips in the middle of a geography session.

Magnus and Woolsey had been best friends since grade four. They met in class and were best friends ever since. Magnus was accepted as the gay boy at his school for as long as he remembered, and he didn't have any troubles with bullies except for one kid called Sebastian. But whenever Sebastian tried to pick on Magnus, Woolsey would step in and protect him. That's why they became best mates.

The bullying stopped after Woolsey gave Sebastian a black eye one day in grade six. From that point on, nobody dared to mess with Magnus. Nobody.

Woolsey and Magnus were pranksters together and the class clowns throughout their early years of school. But as the two boys matured, so did their personalities. Magnus realised that his grades needed to improve so he stepped up his game and started to mellow out, and so did Woolsey. Well, sort of.

Woolsey was incredibly lazy and really had no work ethic, and that's what bothered Magnus the most. Magnus was paying for the entire cost of the rent, and he was buying all of their groceries, but Woolsey did nothing but sit on his indolent bum and watch TV. Some days, Woolsey would do absolutely nothing.

This was one of those days.

Magnus watched in acrimonious amusement as Woolsey took a seat on the living room couch and started eating a bag of crisps (that Magnus bought, of course). He sent him a death glare from the nearby kitchen and rolled his eyes at his flat mate's abhorrent and obnoxious chewing. Magnus was attempting to concentrate on correcting Alec's biology lesson. He sat down on the bar stool and clicked his red pen, pressing it gently to the paper, but he couldn't concentrate.

Crunch. Snap. Chew.

Magnus had enough. He threw up his arms in the air and stomped over to Woolsey and snatched up his bag of crisps.

"Hey!" Woolsey exclaimed, furrowing his eyebrows at his supposed friend.

"I'm trying to concentrate, but I can't if you keep chewing like that," Magnus hissed.

Woolsey tilted his head to the side and sighed, "Can't you just go do it in your own room or something?" he asked.

Magnus chuckled at that, "Are you kidding me?"

"Not really."

"You're ridiculous!" Magnus laughed coldly.

"Oh, I'm ridiculous?" Woolsey fake gasped, standing up from the couch so he was eye-level with Magnus. His face was now red with frustration.

"Yes! You're so lazy, you need to get a fucking job! I'm paying for all the bills and everything and you take it for granted!" Magnus yelled, curling his fists.

"So I'm the ridiculous one?" Woolsey wondered.

"Yes!"

"Says the man who is snogging his own student because he's horny-"

"Shut up, Woolsey. You can't use that against me you don't understand," Magnus growled.

"I do understand, Magnus! It's incredibly wrong and you know it, too!"

"But instead of helping me and trying to fix my problem you teased me about it? Fucking logic!" Magnus almost screamed. Tears were pricking at his eyes now, and he had to wipe them away with his wrist. He hardly ever fought with Woolsey. Sure, they teased each other and made fun of each other, but never like this and it hurt.

"I was just joking about that shit," Woolsey said, shaking his head slightly.

"Fuck you!" Magnus gritted through clenched teeth. What Woolsey had said the other day actually hurt him and he had the nerve to say he was just joking? As if that makes it any better? As if that erases what Woolsey said from the past? Woolsey thought that Magnus was using Alec for his body, and he said that Magnus was desperate, which was completely untrue.

"You'd like that, wouldn't you?" Woolsey asked teasingly.

"Don't flatter yourself," Magnus said, turning away from him.

"Don't walk away from me!"

"Watch me!" Magnus shouted, grabbing his leather jacket off of the back of the couch. He hurriedly slipped on his shoes and headed towards the door.

"Where are you gonna go, huh? You have no one to turn to!" Woolsey reminded him.

Magnus' throat bobbed as he opened up the door and stepped outside, "Yes I do," he said before closing the door behind him with a loud slam. He ignored Woolsey's roaring voice behind him and started walking towards Alec's flat with his hood pulled up tightly.

Much to Magnus' relief, it was raining. That way nobody could see the tears in his eyes.

* * *

Magnus stood at Alec's door. He wanted to knock, but at the same time, he didn't. He just stood there with tears staining down his cheeks with his hand raised to the door. He couldn't knock. He was too afraid.

He didn't blame Alec if he hated him. Hell, he even hated himself. He felt his throat clench as he continued to cry, which increased to a steady sob in a matter of minutes. Everything was falling apart. He was confused, cold, and angry . . . a swirling mixture of emotions.

Magnus gathered up enough courage in his stomach to knock. Only once, though. Twice was too daring.

Within seconds, the door was swinging open, revealing his beastly student. Alec was wearing only boxers, causing Magnus to blush brightly. His flaming red eyes were looking down at his teacher worriedly. His chest was covered in scars and veins and tattoos, making Magnus melt.

When Alec noticed Magnus crying, he wrapped the fragile older man in his strong arms in a strong embrace. He didn't know why Mr. Bane was crying, nor did he care. He simply wanted to make him feel better.

Magnus eventually forced himself to pull away, sniffling what little dignity he had left. He swallowed thickly and wiped his salty tear soaked cheeks once again.

"Can I stay here tonight? I just . . . I really have no where else to go . . . I hope you don't mind," Magnus whimpered, his voice sounding extremely vulnerable.

Alec had to fight back a smile as he stepped over to the side, allowing the older boy to walk in.

Yeah, he didn't mind at all.


	12. Chapter 12

Alec didn't know what to think when he saw his broken and crying teacher at his doorstep. At first, he was angry because how dare Magnus show up to his flat after what had happened the night before when Magnus cold heartedly rejected him? But after a few measly seconds, Alec noticed the glistening tears in Magnus' pools of blue and wrapped his arms protectively around the older man.

Magnus was embarrassed about the whole situation. He was a grown man for fuck's sake! Why was he crying into his student's shoulder? His cheeks flushed red, but he didn't let go of Alec. In fact, he only held him tighter, digging his fingers into Alec's muscular back. Magnus hiccuped in between sobs and Alec hushed him, whispering sweetly into the older bloke's ear.

Magnus pulled away from the hug with the small amount of dignity he had left and stepped inside Alec's flat. Magnus wiped away his moist cheeks and stumbled weakly into Alec's living room before sitting down on the black, leather couch. Alec sat down next to him and gulped. It was quiet between them

Too quiet.

"I'm sorry for coming here- this is so embarrassing. I just really have no where else to go," Magnus huffed, nestling back into the cushions of the couch.

"I don't mind."

"I'm sorry," Magnus repeated, tugging on his bottom lip with his teeth.

" It's alright, stop saying you're sorry. But will you at least tell me what happened?" Alec wondered.

Magnus sighed, finally catching his breath, "It's stupid. Like, really stupid. My flat mate Woolsey and I got in a fight so I left and well, him and I hardly ever get in arguments so it kind of hurt."

"Woolsey?"

"Yeah, he's my best mate but sometimes he doesn't think things over before he speaks," Magnus said some-what humorously.

"I get it," Alec said, but he couldn't help but feel a spark of jealousy deep inside him. Alec hated imagining Magnus touching or kissing someone other than himself. "So, is Woolsey, like, your boyfriend?" Alec asked.

Magnus laughed and shook his head, "Nah, he's not. Just a friend," he said. "Hey, how'd you know I was gay?" Magnus added as an afterthought.

Alec stiffened, "Erm, well, you kissed me twice so I kind of just assumed-"

"Actually, you kissed me the first time, remember?" Magnus reminded him, deciding to take a comedic approach on it. But, at the same time, Magnus felt his cheeks heat up bright pink as his brain dug up the memory of kissing the younger boy. He wanted to do it again, he really did. Here Alec was, sitting only in his boxers in front of him with those pink, kissable lips.

"Don't act like you didn't enjoy it," Alec winked, getting Magnus' attention again.

Magnus blushed even brighter, if that was at all possible. He bit his bottom lip nervously and tugged on the think pink skin.

"No response, that's exactly what I thought," Alec said cheekily.

"Shut up," Magnus scolded, nudging Alec's shoulder.

Alec pretended to zip his lips and throw away the imaginary key over his shoulder.

Magnus laughed at that, "And just for the record . . . you're a really good kisser," Magnus admitted, and he knew his face was probably as red as a cherry right then.

Alec hummed in response, not exactly knowing what to say. There was a small fraction of silence, filled only with the slight buzzing of the nearby air conditioner. Alec simply looked down at his hands and startled twiddling his thumbs nervously. The silence was awkward, yes, but at the same time it was nice. They were sitting next to each other in still quietness like nothing was wrong- like despite everything that happened between them, they were going to be alright.

Alec moistened his chapped and cracked lips quickly, "Do you wanna, like, do somethin'?"

Magnus furrowed his eyebrows, "That depends . . . what is it?"

To answer his question, Alec stood up from the couch and held out his hand for Magnus. It was not until then that Magnus realized how big and beautiful Alec's palms were, despite the budging veins and burns across the milky white skin. In fact, all of Alec was beautiful.

"Where are we going?" Magnus asked cautiously, his soft voice getting caught in his throat.

"Somewhere. Just take my hand, I don't bite . . . hard," Alec winked.

Magnus rolled his eyes and chuckled as he placed his hand in Alec's, using him as support to stand up. He followed Alec to his laundry room, keeping their hands attached. He was about to ask him what the hell they were doing in his laundry room but his question was answered when Alec grabbed a small, wooden stool and stepped up on it. He pressed his hands against the ceiling, where a large square lied.

A secret door? Magnus assumed.

As Alec pushed against the ceiling, Magnus could only watch and bite his lip to stop himself from drooling at the sight in front of him. The fact that Alec was shirtless drove him mad. Bright blue marks traveled down his stomach, twisting and connecting like intertwined neon lightning bolts. Magnus could see his highly defined hip bones poking out of the hem of his navy blue boxers.

Eventually, Alec got the door open, causing some steps to fall down from the ceiling. Magnus's eyes widened as Alec pulled himself up through the hole, then reached down a hand to help Magnus up as well. Mr. Bane carefully stepped on the stool and heaved himself through the door with the help of his student. He climbed up and felt solid concrete beneath him and he wiggled up onto a . . . roof?

And that's exactly what it was. The roof to Alec's apartment complex. It was made of concrete and overlooked the road, but at the same time, it was beautiful. The sun was setting in the most cliché wort of way, but Magnus couldn't help but smile at the sight. Small buildings and businesses lined the small streets.

Cars honked their horns and some people gave reckless drivers the middle finger, but strangely enough, it was peaceful up on the roof. None of the things going on down there mattered. They were six stories up in the air, towering over the people and cars beneath them.

"Wow," Magnus said breathlessly.

"You like it?"

"Definitely I mean . . . wow," Magnus said at loss of words. He ran his hand over the smooth metal railing that surrounded the perimeter of the roof. "Do you come up here often?"

Alec shrugged, "Sometimes. Usually when I need to cool off or had a rough day."

"It's really beautiful up here," Magnus hummed.

"It's nice because I can show myself to the public without actually being out in public, y'know? I can be myself without being judged because nobody can see me from way up here."

"Which is why it's acceptable to be only in your underwear," Magnus laughed.

"Exactly."

Magnus nodded at that, looking out at the skyline of the distant city and the setting sun in the distance. Ribbons of pink and orange danced across the sky and swirled together in a breathtaking mixture. A swift breeze whipped through the air, causing Alec's curls to fly around and whirl in the wind.

It was only then that Mr. Bane realised that one of his hands was still connected with Alec's. He gulped and untangled their fingers before crossing his arms firmly over his chest. He scolded himself for holding his hand for that long. It was wrong . . . so so wrong.

Even though he knew that what he was doing was bad, Magnus couldn't help but notice how their hands fitted so well, and how his hands were so soft, and how warm his palms felt. He noticed all these things.

"I think we need to talk," Magnus said slowly, rubbing the back of his neck.

Alec felt his stomach drop at those words, because every time Magnus said they needed to talk, bad things happened and Alec didn't want anything to change between them. He wanted to stay like that forever, close to Magnus, up on the roof enjoying each other's presence.

But Alec couldn't say that to Magnus. He couldn't tell him how bad he wanted to kiss him and cuddle with him and do unspeakable things to him. He couldn't tell Magnus how badly he wanted him, or how Magnus managed to change him from completely straight to falling head over heels for him in a matter of months.

He couldn't tell Mr. Bane any of those things, so he nodded.

"Listen, I'm sorry for kissing you and then completely rejecting you the other day I . . . I shouldn't have done that."

Alec gulped and squeezed the railing, " It's alright. I'll survive."

Magnus sighed and placed his hand over Alec's, "No, it's not alright. I shouldn't have led you on. The truth is, I like you. Like, like you. I hope you know that by now," he chuckled.

"I thought you said we need to keep things professional-"

"We do but . . . I can't just be your teacher. I can't do that. It's, like, impossible for me to restrain myself."

Alec parted his lips and looked away from Magnus' gaze, staring out over the roof, "Why do you even like me? I'm . . . I'm not good looking. I'm a monster."

Magnus'completley froze. Did Alec really think that way about himself?

Mr. Bane gently reached under his student's chin and lifted up his face to meet his gaze, staring deeply into the younger boy's ruby eyes. He brushed his hand over the burn across his cheek, the bump in his nose, the black mark over his other cheek, and the blue veins that protruded from his jawline.

"You're not a monster, you're the most beautiful creature I have ever laid eyes on," Magnus said honestly, taking in the pulchritude of Alec's features.

Alec's breath shook, "I think you owe me a kiss after leaving me like that yesterday," he huffed.

Magnus chuckled, "I think you're right."

And with that, Mr. Bane pressed his lips softly onto Alec's. They both didn't know what their future had in store. Would they keep their relationship a secret? And, more importantly, were they actually in a relationship per se, or was it something different? Something neither of them could define?

They didn't know the answers to any of those questions, nor did they care at the moment, because all they knew was that whatever was coming their way, they were going to do it together.


	13. Chapter 13

Alec and Mr. Bane stayed like that for a while, kissing softly up on the roof, occasionally stopping to brush noses cutely and giggle for no reason at all. They did that until the sun completely disappeared and was replaced with the night sky. It was at eight o'clock on the dot that they agree to go back inside because it was getting dark and also becoming quite chilly as result and, well, Alec was still clad in only his boxers.

And no, Magnus hadn't forgotten that fact yet. He had to bite his lip constantly to prevent himself from looking down at Alec's waist and admiring the younger boy's highly defined hip bones.

Alec climbed down the ladder first and helped Mr. Bane down as well. When they were both firmly on the ground in the laundry room, Alec pushed the ladder back up and sealed the door in the ceiling. Alec was extremely grateful for the roof access because if he was constantly cooped up in his apartment he would've probably had gone insane.

"We should do something," Magnus noted when they stepped out of the laundry room and into the living room again.

"Like what?" Alec asked.

"We could go to a movie?"

"Yeah, sounds good," Alec smiled.

Magnus paused. "But wait, is that— is that okay? With your mum, y'know, considering your . . . appearance and such?"

Alec frowned at that. "Oh, right. It's funny, sometimes I actually forget that I look like this. How about we watch a movie here instead, yeah?"

Magnus nodded and gave his student a gentle smile as they both settled down into the couch. They sat next to each other and Alec immediately put his arm around Magnus and used his free hand to snatch up the remote and flick on the tellie.

"Can I ask you a question, Alec?" Magnus spoke up as he leaned his head against Alec's shoulder.

"Mhm," Alec hummed.

"Are you usually shirtless? 'cause I could get used to it. You're warm," Magnus muttered, cuddling more into Alec's side and relaxing into his comforting arms.

Alec chuckled. "I actually prefer going commando but I thought I'd be decent for you," he winked, and he smiled as he watched Magnus' eyes widen and his throat bob.

Magnus had to push all dirty thoughts aside, "So, uh, which film?"

Alec shrugged. "Don't know. What do you think?"

"Do you have The Inbetweeners Movie?"

Alec immediately smiled at that. " 'course, it's one of my favourites. I'll go put it in."

Magnus watched as Alec got up and walked over to the DVD case he had next to the TV screen and bent down, scanning for the right film. Mr. Bane had to bite his bottom lip once again to stop himself from whimpering when he saw the hem of Alec's boxers slip down a bit lower than necessary.

After the disc got put in, Alec returned back to the couch and once again snuggled in close to Magnus as the beginning credits danced across the screen.

Whilst they waited for the movie to start up, Magnus found himself involuntarily tracing the scars and marks on Alec's chest with his finger. Alec tensed up a bit because he didn't exactly want Magnus touching him in the place he was most insecure about but he didn't budge.

"You okay?" Magnus asked when he noticed Alec was acting odd.

"Y-yes, just . . . feels kinda odd 'cus your feeling my blemishes and—"

"They're not blemishes, Alec. They're beautiful," Magnus smiled up at his student with bright, golden eyes.

Alec's expression softened. "Yeah, okay," he muttered.

Magnus continued to trace his hands down Alec's torso-

**[I'm scared there is 6 years old reading this so I'm keeping it clean but if you want Malec's sex then I'll put it in the next chapter]**

When The Inbetweeners Movie ended, both Magnus and Alec were so comfortable in the couch that they popped in yet another movie, this time chosing Love Actually despite Magnus's protests that it was too cheesy.

So they spent another few hours cuddling and Magnus and Alec were sprawled out across the couch. During the second movie they kept changing positions on the sofa, shifting as the minutes past, but they eventually found themselves lying down next to each other with their feet propped up on the other arm rest.

Since the couch wasn't very wide Magnus was sort of half-on Alec and half-on the sofa but neither of them minded. It was nice being so close to each other after so long of not being able to touch each other. It was like, finally, they had decided to not care what others thought and were doing what they felt was right. What they wanted.

Magnus was already partially asleep with his head buried in the crook of Alec's neck. They kept a decent conversation going but Alec could tell that the older boy was starting to drift into a state of slumber at any minute. Alec didn't know if he should stay and fall asleep with him on the couch or offer to go in his own bedroom, thus allowing Magnus to sleep by himself.

"Magnus, you awake?" Alec asked.

Magnus hummed in response, brushing the tips of his fingers along Alec's side to tell him that he was indeed awake— barely.

"You want me to sleep here or go in my room? I just don't want you to feel uncomfortable."

Mr. Bane cracked open his eyes. " I'm comfortable now," he said, his voice thick of sleep, and Alec thought it was the sexiest sound he had ever heard in his seventeen years of living.

"You're cuddly," Magnus added as an afterthought.

"In that case, why don't we cuddle in my bed, yeah? I'm kinda squished in this small couch," Alec chuckled.

"Too far," Magnus graoned.

"It's, like, six steps away," Alec laughed.

"Still."

"I'll carry you babe," Alec offered, and Magnus's stomach bubbled at the sound of Alec calling him babe, but he tried to keep his cool and maintain his mature teacher façade.

"Kay."

Alec sighed as he wiggled out of Magnus's grasp and stood up, then scooped up the older yet noticeably smaller man in his arms and stereotypically carried him bridal style into his bedroom, where he set him down on the mattress.

Alec then curled up under the covers with him and flicked off the lamp sitting on the bedside table.

"Thank you for letting me stay here, Alec," Magnus mumbled.

"It's no problem, really. I get rather lonely on weekends anyway."

Magnus nodded but was still unsure, "I'll call Woolsey tomorrow and try to make up with him so I can get out of your hair—"

"You can stay in my hair, I don't mind at all," Alec joked, and Magnus laughed, letting out a gentle puff of air against the crisp, white sheets.

"Seriously, though. Stay as long as you want," Alec said.

smiled because for once it didn't matter what anyone else thought. He wasn't listening to other's opinions and wasn't listening to his head but instead his heart, and yeah, it felt pretty damn good to do what he wanted instead.

Magnus stole one last glance up at those heart-stopping red eyes in the midst of the darkness before drifting asleep, muttering to Alec, "goodnight."

UPDATED: SORRY IF I SPELLED ALEC WRONGLY, SHOUT OUT TO FIRA171000 FOR TELLING ME THAT.


	14. Chapter 14

Magnus was the first to wake up the next morning. The brightness of the sun leaking through Alec's navy blue curtains awoke him, as well as Alec's persistent and incredibly loud snoring. Mostly the latter.

Throughout the night, Magnus had been shoving him and shaking him in an attempt to get him to stop snoring but none of his efforts triumphed. Eventually, Magnus had given up and snatched up his phone, stole a pair of earbuds from the bedside table and listened to Coldplay on repeat until he fell asleep.

Sure, Magnus could've easily just had gotten up and went to sleep in the living room on Alec's couch, but having Alec there lying next to him . . . provided a sense of warmth and it was addicting. Magnus never wanted it to stop . . . despite how annoying Alec's snoring was.

Of course, when Magnus woke up lying next to his student, a sense of guilt washed over him like a wave. He knew it was wrong. But, then again, was it really? They weren't having sex and Magnus wasn't pressuring Alec into doing it whatsoever, so, was it really that bad? It was just kissing and cuddling and they both liked each other a lot so why did it even matter? As long as it didn't go any further, according to Magnus, it was okay.

And all Magnus had to do was finish up the school year with Alec. Just a few more months, that's all, then Alec would be graduated and they could be together. Maybe Magnus was thinking too far ahead but he couldn't stop the thought from entering his brain and bouncing around inside.

Suddenly, Alec stirred in his sleep, muttering a bit and letting out a few gentle puffs of air through his pursed lips. Magnus watched adoringly as Alec turned over onto his side, his hair falls loosely against the sheets.

"Morning," Magnus purred.

Alec's eyes fluttered for a second, squinting a bit, but then he groaned in annoyance and flopped over to the other side so his back was facing Magnus. Chuckling, Magnus cuddled closer to Alec, pressing a gentle kiss to the back of the younger boy's neck. When Alec still didn't wake up, Magnus sighed and started tracing down the creamy skin of Alec's back, rubbing his fingers over the pink, rough burns and scars that lied there. Magnus paused at the bulging neon veins that ran across the length of Alec's body and ran his thumb over them, loving the way they felt.

"What're you doing?" Alec croaked, turning over so he was on his back again. Alec's voice was so rough and thick of sleep and Magnus blushed a bit then shrugged, lying back down on his side of the large bed.

"Your body is interesting, that's all," Magnus answered quickly, acting as if it was a nonchalant thing to say.

Alec cocked an eyebrow, "You're so weird."

Magnus smiled, "I'll take that as a compliment."

Alec chuckled a bit before glancing over at the alarm clock, "What the . . . it's like 8 in the morning on a Sunday, how are you awake?" he asked, a hint of annoyance in his voice.

"You're grumpy in the morning," Magnus mused, "And it's 8:50, nearly 9 so stop complaining."

"You sound like my mum," Alec grumbled.

"Well I am your teacher I suppose I'm supposed to boss you around a bit. . ." Magnus muttered, his voice fading a bit.

There was a fraction of silence between them. Neither of them spoke, just breathed, staring at each other as if to say 'what are we going to do?'. There were so many questions, so many boundaries, so many things wrong about what they were doing but also so many things right.

"I was thinking . . . um, Magnus, what if you quit?" Alec said a bit shyly.

Magnus froze, "Q-quit? You can't be serious."

"Why not?" Alec wondered.

"Because that's ridiculous! I can't quit."

"Give me one good reason, Magnus," Alec pressed on.

"I need the money, Alec. I'm not exactly rich and unlike you I don't depend on my mummy's money, I have to make it on my own," Magnus began, "and my flat mate, Woolsey, and I depend on it. Plus, I kind of promised your mum I'd teach you for the remainder of the year and this is huge for me. Teaching a model's son could get me recommendations for more jobs and I can't quit over something so stupid-"

"Oh, so I'm stupid?" Alec cut in, sitting up right on the bed.

Magnus shook his head, "That's not what I meant and you know it."

"What did you mean then, huh? Please, tell me," Alec said. The tone in his voice startled Magnus a bit.

"I- I mean the idea of me quitting my job because of us is stupid."

"So you mean the idea of us being together is stupid?"

"Together? Alec we're not together! We're . . ." Magnus began, but he couldn't force the words out of his mouth. He was stuck. What were they? They looked into each other's eyes, a sense of uncertainty apparent on both their faces.

Alec gulped, "I . . . I don't want to fight."

"Me neither. So can we just drop this? As I said before we need to take things slow- like, turtle slow."

The black hair boy licked his lips for a split second, thinking it over, "How about this slow- a date?" he suggested.

Magnus' jaw locked, his throat tightening. Was that even appropriate? Even getting to the stage of kissing a cuddling was a struggle mentally for Magnus. A date would be pushing boundaries- leaving the comfort and familiarity of Alec's apartment.

"I, um, can you, like, go out in public? Is that alright with your mum and, um, stuff?" he said, struggling to find the right words.

Alec paused, "We'll think of something. We can go somewhere late at night? I'll wear sunglasses and a hat and clothes that cover my arms and legs- it'll be okay."

Magnus bit his lip, "Speaking of which . . . about your mum, how often do you see her?"

"Not very often. Once a week if I'm lucky. At first she visited every day but it seems as if she sort of forgot about me. She doesn't care. She says that after I change back to normal- I mean, if I change back to normal, then I can come home and start going out in public again. But God knows when or even if that'll happen," Alec murmured.

Magnus nodded at that and ran his fingers through his greasy hair and realized that he desperately needed a shower.

"I should go back to my flat and check with Woolsey- see if he's still mad. But, about that date," Magnus said, standing up from the bed and stretching his arms, "text me the details later. You have my number, right?" Alec nodded. "Okay then, see you tonight Alec," Magnus smiled before turning and leaving him without another single word.

Magnus' hand shook as he stuck his key into the lock. Would Woolsey still be mad? Would they fight again? To be honest, Magnus was slowly growing tired of his childhood best friend and flat mate's attitude. He was constantly getting drunk and bringing back random girls to shag and was too lazy to get a job.

Slowly, Magnus creaked open the door and kicked off his shoes.

It only took a few seconds for Magnus to spot Woolsey sitting on the couch, stuffing his face with ice cream. Magnus scoffed and rolled his eyes. Nothing had changed.

Woolsey didn't hear him walk in so Magnus slowly walked over to the living room and took a seat next to him without saying anything. Woolsey simply shot Magnus a quick glance then grunted, turning his attention back to the football match.

"Ignoring me, Woolsey? How mature," Magnus laughed.

Woolsey froze, swallowing another spoonful of mint chocolate chip ice cream straight from the carton, "Hypocrite," he seethed.

Magnus' eyes widened, "What did you just say? I just get home and you start insulting me already? Lovely, just peachy."

It went silent for a few moments. They both focused on the TV, but the tension in the air was clear. You could cut it with a knife.

"You call me immature but look at yourself," Woolsey mused, still gluing his eyes to the tellie, "you're dating your mentally ill student for crying out loud."

"I've told you before, he's not mentally ill!"

"Then what is he?" Woolsey snapped.

Magnus gulped, "I . . . I can't tell you. You wouldn't believe me."

"So we're back to this again, eh?"

"Fine! You want to know what's really up with Alec, fine! But you won't believe me," Magnus insisted.

Then he proceeded to tell Woolsey the story about how Alec was cursed by a wizard and turned into a beast. He then told Woolsey how Alec was forced by his supermodel mum to pretend he was mentally ill and to be home schooled away from the public eye, which left Woolsey in a laughing fit, staring at his flat mate like he was crazy.

"See? I told you! I told you that you wouldn't believe me!" Magnus grumbled, sinking back into the cushions of the couch.

Woolsey chuckled, "Can you blame me? How about you tell me the truth."

"But I am telling you the truth!" Magnus wailed.

Woolsey paused, laughing a bit, "Well, let's pretend that for a minute you are telling me the truth. In that case, from what I've gathered from your information, he's just using you," he began, "Alec's using you to get the curse reversed. He's only pretending to like you in hopes that you'll fall for him and fix the curse for his own selfish reasons."

Magnus shook his head, "No he's not-"

"I'm just saying, Magnus. If what you're telling me about this beast bullshit is true- which I highly doubt it is- but if by the slightest chance that it is true . . . then in my honest opinion . . . you're being played."

Magnus bit his lip, "I'm not," he muttered, but it almost came out like a question.

"Honestly, mate. You're losing it. Maybe your mentally ill students are contagious," Woolsey said, rolling his eyes.

And that was the final straw.

Magnus stood up from the couch angrily and fled to his room, giving Woolsey the finger as he left. He locked himself in his bedroom and slammed the door, frustrated and flat out angry with Woolsey. He had thought that maybe spending the night away from Woolsey would have smacked some logic into his dumb, raven-haired head but no, it clearly hadn't and Woolsey was still annoying and rude.

Magnus' phone buzzed in his pocket. Groaning, he took it out and narrowed his eyes at the screen.

From; Alec

Date tonight at 10pm sharp at the park downtown. It should be dark enough then so I can go out. There shouldn't be many people there, anyway. Sound good? xx

Magnus found himself smiling as he typed a reply.

At 10 o'clock sharp, as promised, Magnus showed up to the park. It was a nice grassy area, filled with trees and a dirt path as well as a giant pond that sat in the center with a bridge that stretched across it. As Alec had predicted, it was pretty empty. He hadn't seen a single person yet.

Magnus stood at the bridge's edge near the pond (where they had agreed to meet), admiring how the moon and the stars reflected off the glassy water. It was already incredibly dark and difficult to see but nonetheless it was beautiful. Maybe even more beautiful than in daylight.

Suddenly, a soft hand brushed over Magnus's shoulder. Magnus jumped a bit but relaxed when he turned around and saw Alec there, a smile across his scarred and burned face. His eye were hidden behind sunglasses as a precaution and he was also cboy in a long-sleeve shirt and joggers to hide his blemished legs and arms.

"Hey."

"Hey yourself," Magnus said back a tad breathlessly, standing on his tip toes to peck the younger yet taller boy's lips.

"Let's walk, eh?" Alec said once they pulled away.

Magnus nodded in agreement and laced their fingers together. He tried to have fun, he really did, but Woolsey's words kept floating around inside his mind, in the darkest and scariest corners of his thoughts.

Alec's using you to get the curse reversed. He's only pretending to like you in hopes that you'll fall for him and fix the curse for his own selfish reasons.

Magnus gulped and tightened his grip on Alec's hand as they continued to walk, laughing and joking along the way about nonsense. When Magnus cracked a joke about the football match that was on earlier that day, Alec smiled and laughed, dimples forming on his cheeks.

Was that smile genuine? There were a few unpleasant doubts left lingering in the back of Magnus' brain. Magnus hoped and prayed that Woolsey's speculations about Alec weren't true.


	15. Chapter 15

"How many siblings do you have?" Alec asked abruptly. He and Magnus walked across the stone bridge that stretched over the width of the small pond. Magnus paused and looked up at Alec with an arched brow.

"That was quite random," he noted.

Alec shrugged, "I just realised that we've been kissing and stuff for a while but we barely even know each other."

Magnus chuckled, "We know each other, Alec. I've been teaching you for months."

"But it's just recently that we've started making things between us more than platonic so I don't know much about your private life. I mean, of course I know the basic stuff. I know that your last name's Bane and you are a shadowhunter and-"

"I'm a warlock,actually" Magnus corrected, laughing a bit.

"My point exactly," Alec smiled. He stopped in the middle of the bridge and leaned against the thick railing that ran along the length of the span. Magnus did the same and stood next to him, elbows propped up on the rail.

"I don't have siblings," Magnus said.

"Huh?"

"You asked me how many siblings I have . . . and I don't have siblings." he explained dryly.

"Your parents are separated?" Alec wondered.

"I have no idea.. My mother died after she got me"

"I'm sorry" Alec said,

"It's alright. How many siblings do you have?" Magnus asked,

"I have one sister called Isabelle but she's in uni right now so I don't speak to her as often as I'd like to and one brother called Max but he passed away"

"Oh.. I'm sorry. Were you ever close to your dad? You never mentioned him before," Magnus wondered.

Alec bit his lip, "Not really. He left when I was two and I haven't seen him since."

"Shame," Magnus said, carding his fingers through Alec's hair slowly so his fingertips brushed over Alec's sensitive scalp. "He's lucky to have a son as wonderful as you," he continued.

"I'm not that wonderful," Alec scoffed, "look at me." He motioned to his body with a quick nod of the head. Magnus frowned.

"As I've said a million times before, my dear Alec, you're the most beautiful creature I've ever seen and don't you dare think otherwise. I feel like a sap but I'm just being honest," Magnus hummed. He pressed a quick kiss to the inside of Alec's neck and looked up at his student with bright, shiny eyes.

Alec couldn't help but notice how pretty Magnus looked in the moonlight. His amber eyes glimmered softly in the darkness behind his black frames and his skin looked like liquid rich caramel. Magnus' jawline appeared to be so smooth and Alec found himself subconsciously tracing the indents and rises of Magnus' face with his fingers lightly.

"What are you doing, you weirdo," Magnus chuckled.

Alec shrugged, "Don't know, you're just pretty, that's all."

"Pretty?" Magnus scoffed, "I'm not a woman, Alec. I'm a man, I swear, I have a willy and everything."

Alec found himself in a laughing fit, giggling so much that his sides began to hurt and his insides twisted. Magnus just shook his head with a smug smile across his face as he watched Alec laugh and smile, his dimples poking through his full and adorable cheeks.

"I like it when you smile," Magnus noted.

Alec snaked his arms around Magnus' slim waist, peering down lovingly at the older boy, "I like the fact that I'm taller than you . . . it's cute," he said with a smirk.

"But I'm still older than you," Magnus huffed.

"Yeah, yeah, no need to remind me. I know you're older considering you're my teacher and all."

"Is it weird that I forgot that? It's like, when I'm with you and we're not doing school work and stuff, I completely forget the fact that I'm your teacher," Magnus mused.

"That is weird, but you're weird in general so whatever," Alec shrugged teasingly.

Magnus smacked Alec's arm playfully and laughed, "C'mon, let's enjoy the rest of our evening."

They continued to walk down the bridge holding hands and laughing about nonsense. That was one of the things they loved about each other- they could always make one another laugh. They had the same sense of humor and it was comforting. Magnus managed to turn everything into a joke and Alec was always being maboyroit and awkward but Magnus found it bloody hilarious.

The two boys walked down the path enjoying the fact that they had the entire park to themselves this late at night. As they walked across a patch of grass Alec managed to trip over nothing and fall face-first into the dirt. Magnus laughed and watched Alec sit up right and wipe the thin layer of mud off his face. "You're so clumsy it's funny," Magnus said.

"I didn't use to be this clumsy," Alec breathed, standing up and brushing off his knees, "it's just, like, ever since the curse my eyesight is all out of whack."

Magnus suddenly felt kind of bad. He never considered that possibility.

"Oh, um, sorry," Magnus said biting his lip.

" It's alright. It's not like it's your fault. It's all Jace's fault," Alec gritted through clenched teeth.

Magnus frowned, "Have you spoken to him recently?"

"No, not in a few months actually . . . why?"

"Just thought maybe I could meet him? Talk to him or something," Magnus shrugged.

"I already tried to get him to change me back but he said I have to find love," Alec murmured.

"So get someone to fall in love with you?" Magnus said softly. Alec nodded and Magnus blushed slightly, pink rising to the peaks of his cheeks.

"Is there anyway I can help? Convince him that you've changed?" Magnus pondered.

"He said the curse is irreversible but . . . it's worth a shot, I suppose," Alec said thoughtfully.

"Do you know where he lives?" Magnus asked.

"Mhm."

Magnus smiled and gripped Alec's hand, twisting their fingers together warmly. Magnus relished the feeling of their hands pressed together in a silly cute way. He felt like a twelve year old girl with a dumb crush, but that was the effect Alec had on him and it was absolutely mind boggling.

"Are you sure you're okay with leaving? I mean, we're kind of on a date after all," Alec said.

"Yeah, it's fine. I don't mind. I'm tired anyway, my legs are sore from walking."

"In that case, we can drive to Jace's house and take my car," Alec laughed. Magnus nodded feverishly in agreement.

They reached Jace's old and creepy house eventually. Magnus' eyes widened at the frightful gargoyles sitting in stone outside of the front steps. The house looked ancient.

Alec sucked in a deep breath before knocking lightly on the door. When nobody answered, he knocked louder. Still nobody answered, so he groaned and opened up the door himself- it was unlocked.

"We can't just walk in," Magnus hissed, grabbing Alec's wrist firmly.

Alec scoffed, "After what he did to me, I sure as hell can."

Magnus just sighed as Alec tugged him along with him inside the house. They closed the door behind them and the two blokes looked around the interior and frowned when nobody was in sight.

"Maybe nobody's home," Magnus said quietly.

"I think I know where he is," Alec said. He gestured for Magnus to follow him. Reluctantly, Magnus trailed behind Alec as he walked down the long intimidating hallway and stepped inside a dark, small room. The lights were off.

Sure enough, Jace was there. He was bending over a bubbling cauldron which contained an odd smelling slimy orange liquid that oozed from the sides of the metal pot. Jace stirred the mixture with a large wooden spoon and was oblivious to the fact that he had company.

"Hey," Alec finally said and Jace jumped. He spun around on his heel with a shocked face.

"Oh, hi Alec," Jace smiled, his face softening. "I didn't hear you come in."

"Yeah, I just came in because you didn't answer-"

"It's okay, I don't mind company," Jace said cheerfully. As a wizard in training, Jace didn't have much time for friends. He was lonely.

"Oh, um, okay . . . can we, like, talk?" Alec stuttered.

"Of course! How about we talk in the living room, yeah? It's a bit smelly in here and I apologise. It is a lair after all," Jace laughed.

Alec shot Magnus an uncertain glance. Happy-go-lucky Jace lead them in the direction of the living room.

"Here, have some tea, I promise I haven't poisoned it," Jace laughed slightly, handing each boy a cuppa. They both took them and cautiously took a sip. Alec was relieved when the warm substance slid warmly down his rough and dry throat.

"So Alec, who's your friend?" Jace asked, leaning back in his chair.

"Right . . . this is Magnus, my teacher and . . . friend," Alec said.

Jace raised an eyebrow, "Just friends? I could've sworn you two were holding hands earlier," he smirked, causing both of them to freeze.

Magnus blushed, "It's . . . complicated."

"I see," Jace hummed.

There was a small fraction of awkward silence, filled only with gulping sounds and the ticking of a nearby clock.

"Um . . . so, Jace, the reason we came here is because I wanted to ask if there's anyway you could change Alec back," Magnus asked eagerly. His feet tapped nervously against the wooden dusty floor as he waited patiently for Jace's reply.

"I've already told Alec that it's impossible. I can't change him back. Well, I could, but I won't. It would take a lot of potions and spells that I can't waste."

"Why the hell not?" Magnus snapped, his voice suddenly becoming cold.

"Magnus," Alec scolded, "calm down."

"Sorry . . . I just think it's selfish. Jace, you ruined Alec's life, why won't you change him back?" Magnus asked.

"Because he needs to learn his lesson," Jace answered. Magnus scrunched his eyebrows and his face reddened in anger.

"He's learned his lesson! He's not the selfish person that he once was. Take it from me, his teacher. He's a nice boy," Magnus promised.

"I'm sorry, Magnus, but that's not the purpose of this curse. He needs to find love," Jace said plainly.

Magnus voice cracked, "That's so unfair! You only gave him a year-"

"Magnus, babe, stop yelling," Alec hushed, brushing his hand over the fabric of Magnus' shirt soothingly.

"No! It's not fair. He ruined your life, Alec. You're miserable like this, you said so yourself. I just want you to be happy," Magnus pouted.

Alec sighed, "But Mag-"

"I'm trying to help you! Fuck it, I'm leaving," Magnus growled. He stood up and stormed out of the house angrily in a split second and slammed the door loudly behind him. It sent a bang of frustration through the air of the silent and eerie house.

Alec froze, "I'm sorry, Jace, he's never acted like this before I'll . . . I'll go talk to him."

"Wait Alec, stay for a second," Jace said gently, placing his hand on Alec's knee. Alec arched a brow. "Do you care about him?" Jace asked.

Alec smiled, "Of course."

"Are you two dating, then?"

"No . . . I mean . . . I don't know. As Magnus said, it's complicated. He's my teacher," Alec said, drawling out the last word.

"So? Do you like him?" Jace pressed on. Damn, he had a lot of questions.

"Yeah, I do, I really do," Alec confirmed and he couldn't stop the faint smile creeping on his lips as he thought about his adorable teacher.

"Can you imagine yourself loving him?" Jace asked.

Alec gulped, "I . . . I don't know. I've never been in love before. And why does it matter? You said I just have to find love. Find someone to love me, right?"

Jace laughed, "You must have misunderstood me, Alec. You have to love someone as well. It's not just a one way street, y'know? Have you ever read Beauty and the Beast?" he chuckled.

Alec's stomach twisted in knots. "What?" he gasped.

Jace moistened his lips, reclining back into his seat, "Will that be a problem?" he asked.

Alec paused. He had never been in love before. It's not that the idea of falling in love with Magnus was absolutely repulsing, because he liked Magnus a lot. It was just that Alec didn't know how to love. He didn't know what love was, really. He never felt it before and it made him nervous. What if he was incapable of feeling love? What if he was unable to love? He didn't know how and it was scary.

"No . . . it won't be a problem," Alec lied.

"Good," Jace smiled, "now why don't you go check on Magnus. He's probably waiting for you."

Alec breathed in deeply and stood up from the chair.

Without saying goodbye, he walked outside Jace's front door to find Magnus sitting on the steps, head hung low. The sight broke his heart. Alec sighed and sat down next to him, wrapping his arm around his shoulder comfortingly.

However, Alec was a bit distracted and Jace's words kept running through his head. He was terrified about falling in love. Absolutely terrified. To be honest, he didn't even know if love existed. He had once thought that his mum and dad were in love, but after they split he didn't believe in it anymore.

"You okay Magnus?" Alec asked, pushing previous thoughts to the back of his mind.

Magnus scotched in closer to Alec's touch, leaning against his shoulder, "I'm fine. I just wish there was something I could do to help you. I'm your teacher, I'm supposed to help you but there's nothing I can do and it's so frustrating."

"Hey," Alec whispered. He lifted up Magnus' chin and gazed into his eyes, "you've done enough. You're amazing, love. You're perfect. My problems are my problems, not yours. Don't feel like you have to do anything."

Magnus sniffled, "But-"

"No but's, you've done so much for me. Seriously," Alec said, rubbing his thumb over Magnus' cheek. Magnus cracked a small smile that made Alec's heart flutter.

"Can I stay at your house tonight?" Magnus suddenly asked. "Woolsey's still giving me the cold shoulder."

"Of course you can," Alec smiled gently and pecked Magnus' lips, grinning at the way Magnus carded his fingers through his hair whilst they kissed. When they pulled away, Magnus kept his face close, snuggling into the crook of Alec's neck.

All Alec could think about was how scared he was. He couldn't even concentrate on the amazing and beautiful boy in front of him. Alec feared love, as awful as that sounded, so he wondered if he'd ever change back to his old self again. Maybe he'd be stuck in his beastly form forever.

"You seem off, you alright?" Magnus asked, looking up at Alec questionably.

"Of course," Alec lied, "c'mon, it's late. We should go."


End file.
